Vitor Matos | We have another chance to show what we are about

Vitor Matos believes Swansea City face the toughest assignment in the Championship this afternoon, which provides the perfect motivation for his side when they host Southampton at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The Saints have been the form team in English football over recent months, and are unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions, winning their last seven.

That run has dragged them to within just three points of the automatic promotion spots ahead of their trip to south Wales.

The Swans, meanwhile, are unbeaten in three games after their victory at Leicester City, and draws at Sheffield United and at home to another promotion-chasing side in Middlesbrough.

Head coach Matos feels the performances in those games have underlined that his side are fully motivated, and he expects more of the same 

“Southampton is probably the best team in the league at the moment, they have a great squad and are able to rotate but have the same performance level,” he said.

“They are really organised with the ball, they like to overload the centre of the pitch as a means to break the lines.

“They press very well too, they make it uncomfortable for their opponents and they have a good manager.

“They are in a good moment, but that is good for us because it is a chance for us to show we want to play, perform and beat anyone.

“I think it is clear we are motivated. Middlesbrough were fighting for promotion when we played them, Leicester were fighting to avoid relegation when we played them.

“So we have faced teams who have a lot at stake, and we showed that these games mean a lot to us. 

“The performance is our goal, which means we need to be ready to look in the eyes of the opposition, ready to play offensively, to press high and counter-press, but be dominant with the ball as well.

“We want to do this against every kind of opponent. Playing for this badge means something different, and that feeling of having a winning mentality and building a foundation that allows us to go against everything and compete against every kind of team.

“That is what we want. That’s our clear starting point, we need to make sure we are right. It’s about showing what we want our identity to be.”