Southampton's hopes of beating Swansea may hinge on one player

Southampton host Championship leaders Swansea City on Tuesday night, and their hopes of beating the current table toppers could rely on one player returning to his best form.

Having managed to escape the dreaded negative points balance with a stunning 5-1 victory over Millwall, the Saints have suffered a slight drop in results with successive 1-1 draws away to Birmingham City and Lincoln City.

Swansea are one of only two sides that remain unbeaten in the second tier, so it could take something special for Tonda Eckert's team to get the better of them, and their hopes of securing an all-important victory may hinge on Cyle Larin.

Southampton's hopes of beating Swansea may hinge on Cyle Larin

Larin has enjoyed a superb start to the season for Saints, scoring four goals in his side's first five Championship games to help put the four-point deduction firmly in the rearview mirror.

He struck a consolation in the opening-day 2-1 defeat to Watford before breaking the deadlock in an eventual 3-1 victory over Stoke City. The Canada international added to his tally with a brace in a shock 5-1 win against Millwall, one of which saw him lob a defender ahead of firing in a brilliant strike on the volley.

However, his form has followed in the way of Saints over the last two games as he struggled to make an impact in the draws with Birmingham and Lincoln.

At St Andrew's Stadium, Larin played 69 minutes and had 28 touches, but couldn't influence the result as he missed one big chance with three shots to his name, generating an xG of just 0.31.

His showing against the Imps also saw a significant drop with just 19 touches of the ball in 62 minutes on the pitch. With just two shots, he generated an xG of 0.13. The Canadian's involvement across the pitch was pretty poor too as he committed two fouls, lost possession twice, won only one of seven duels, and played nine passes, only seven of which were accurate.

For a striker that is expected to lead Saints to promotion and a return to the Premier League, those two performances were well below par and Larin has to improve if he and his side are to defeat league leaders Swansea.

With three victories and two draws from their opening five matches, the Swans are top of the Championship table with 11 points, having scored seven and conceded just once so far.

As they bid to make a top flight comeback for the first time since their relegation in 2018, Vítor Matos' side have started well in a fight for promotion, but Southampton will be no easy task, especially at St Mary's Stadium. Eckert's team have not tasted defeat in the league on home soil since a 2-1 defeat to Hull City in mid-January, meaning they are currently on a 12-game unbeaten streak.

Swansea do pose the most dangerous threat currently though and Saints have practically no hope of breaking down their stubborn defence with Larin not in scoring form. Léo Scienza and Finn Azaz will no doubt work their magic to create chances, but if their Canadian comrade can't finish them, the result is unlikely to go their way.

Larin's drop in form is only a minor one, with it stretching over just two games following a sensational start to the campaign, but he has to shake that now. Swansea have shown that they are the team to beat so far and it's going to take something special to add to the one goal they have conceded.

Southampton are more than capable of beating them, but they will need their goalscorer back to his best. If Larin remembers where he put his shooting boots, he and Saints could be in business, but if he forgets them again, it could be a troubling night on the South Coast.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow