Michael Laudrup: 'Swansea City must beat Southampton'

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has claimed that his side must beat Southampton on Saturday if they are to secure a top-10 finish in the Premier League.

The Swans go into the match at the Liberty Stadium in ninth place following a run that has seen them pick up two wins in seven games.

"We have six games to go and Saturday is a key game," Laudrup told the club's official website.

"We have been in the top 10 for a number of weeks now and if we want to stay there we need a win on Saturday, particularly with the games we have after that.

"Beating the big teams is a bonus, but I'd prefer to beat the teams that are our direct rivals. I believe that if we win on Saturday then we will finish in the top 10."

The two teams played out a 1-1 draw when they met in the reverse fixture back in September.