Southampton 0-0 Swansea: Saints fail to breach visitors' stubborn defence in stalemate opener

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In an opening game where the two men in the spotlight were absent, Southampton and Swansea City found themselves sorely lacking star quality in a goalless stalemate.

All the talk around these clubs this summer has centred on the futures of Virgil van Dijk and Gylfi Sigurdsson. Here, neither played — while the men that did shut each other out.

Southampton created plenty of chances but lacked a clinical edge, while Swansea were often camped in their own half and looked devoid of creativity. Not a great preview for a new season of potential success for either side.

Dusan Tadic reacts in frustration as he is thwarted by the Swansea rearguard, failing to capitalise on his chance

The Swansea players head off the pitch at St Mary's after earning a point against Southampton in a stalemate

Lukasz Fabianski palms the ball clear as Charlie Austin chases up in the hope of a rebound during the second half 

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCHZONE 

SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-3-1):Forster 6; Cedric 7, Stephens 7, Yoshida 6, Bertrand 7.5 (McQueen 86); Davis 6, Romeu 6; Ward-Prowse 7 (Boufal 71mins), Tadic 6.5, Redmond 6.5, Gabbiadini 6 (Austin 69)

Subs not used: Taylor, Bednarek, Lemina, Long

Booked: Redmond, Romeu

Manager: Mauricio Pellegrino 6.5

SWANSEA (4-3-2-1):Fabianski 7; Naughton 6, Fernandez 7, Mawson 6.5, Olsson 6.5; Britton 6 (Fulton 74), Fer 7, Carroll 6; Routledge 5.5 (McBurnie 86), Ayew 6; Abraham 7 (Bartley 81)

Subs not used: Nordfeldt, Narsingh, Rangel, Mesa

Booked: Fulton

Manager: Paul Clement 6

Referee: Mike Jones 6

Man of the match: Bertrand

Attendance: 31,446 

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Oriol Romeu impressed in the heart of midfield for the hosts and this was his heat map. For more from our brilliant MATCHZONE, click here

 

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Paul Clement revealed Sigurdsson is now 'not far away' from a £50million move to Everton, while Southampton are adamant that Van Dijk is not Liverpool or Chelsea-bound. Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino says the Dutch defender is expected back at training 'soon'.

But those two protracted transfers will rumble on from here. On Saturday, Southampton and Swansea had a game to concentrate on — one they both struggled with. Saints were proliferate; the Swans were pinned back.

Clement walked into his post-match press conference and declared: 'I thought we deserved to win.' But that was quickly followed by: 'That's a joke… It was a really hard afternoon for us. We suffered a lot.

'On reflection I'm happy to be leaving here with a point. Under similar circumstances last season this team would have lost that — and we didn't.'

For it was Southampton who created chance after chance, only to fail to find the cutting edge to finish. New boss Pellegrino extends a home record without a goal that now stands at 545 minutes.

He made little change to predecessor Claude Puel's set-up — Manolo Gabbiadini for Charlie Austin was the only switch to the team that started the last game of last season.

Tammy Abraham wriggles free and manages to get a shot away but the Swansea striker sees his effort saved

Referee Mike Jones shows Nathan Redmond a yellow card in after a reckless challenge from the Southampton forward

What did appear different for Saints, though, was a renewed attacking verve that they so sorely lacked here last season, scoring just 17 goals at St Mary's.

The switch-up showed from the start as they twice went close to scoring in the first four minutes. First, Ryan Bertrand's corner was flicked on to the top of the crossbar by the head of a back-pedalling Gabbiadini. Moments later the England left back was the provider again, bursting to the byline to pull back to Dusan Tadic six yards out who inexplicably scuffed a tap-in wide with St Mary's rocking.

In the opposing dugout, Clement had gone with just one starting debutant himself, Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham getting an outing up front.

Having hit 23 Championship goals at Bristol City last season, he should have grabbed a first in the Premier League on 10 minutes, rising high at the near post to direct Jordan Ayew's cross narrowly wide with a free header.

Otherwise though, Saints were on top and having plenty of joy down the left where Nathan Redmond, Tadic and Bertrand could link-up. A combination of the former two created another pulled-back chance from the byline, this time for James Ward-Prowse — denied by Lukasz Fabianski. Southampton managed 13 attempts at goal in the opening period but that proved to be the only one to test the Polish goalkeeper.

Swansea looked to be relying on Abraham to nick them a goal and after half-time he almost did, brilliantly turning away from a challenge in the area after taking in Leroy Fer's pass before his eventual shot was blocked. 

Martin Olsson takes off in pursuit of Jack Stephens as the Saints player surges forward with the ball at his feet 

Manolo Gabbiadini heads towards goal but fails to break the deadlock in a first half which finished goalless 

Saints, meanwhile, continued to frustrate inside the box as another Gabbiadini effort drifted wide and a series of low crosses failed to find their targets.

Pellegrino hauled the Italian centre forward off and replaced him with Austin but the story was more of the same until Swansea's tight defence opened up for Maya Yoshida.

A corner earned by a Tadic drive from distance was flicked on by Oriol Romeu and suddenly the Japanese defender was free, alone at the back post six yards out — only to head over. He and substitute Austin both hit the side-netting in stoppage time, too.

Swansea, happy to leave with a point, had dropped deeper as Clement brought Abraham off for an additional defender in Kyle Bartley — a move booed by the travelling fans.

Perhaps, on an afternoon of no goals where they were denied a viewing of the two star men, they felt short-changed. Clement said he understood the supporters' frustrations.

Of Sigurdsson and Van Dijk's absences, Pellegrino added: 'It's a pity — the people deserve to see the best players on the pitch.'

Olsson leaps for a header in competition with Saints defender Cedric Soares in a tightly fought encounter 

Dusan Tadic charges forward with two Swansea players tracking him as he looks to create an opportunity 

Leroy Fer collides with Redmond (right) as the referee brings play to a halt for a foul on the Southampton right back 

Maya Yoshida bent a free-kick narrowly wide late on but it wasn't to be for the hosts who had to settle for a point 

Abraham was given the start by Clement and rewarded his boss with a hard-working performance up top for the Swans