Francesco Guidolin admitted Swansea did not perform to their best against Aston Villa as they all but secured their Premier League safety.

The Swans moved 11 points clear of the drop zone thanks to Federico Fernandez’s second-half winner for his first goal for the club.

Fernandez’s goal off his shoulder after Villa keeper Brad Guzan’s howler from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick summed up the game.

And Guidolin, 60, admitted: “The result and victory was all important.

“I know the performance was not very good but this is the match I was waiting for.

“I know the situation and I saw my players’ nerves come across in their performance.

“I thought that would be the case for this game – Aston Villa could play with freedom and we did not.

“We were better in the second half and having Leon Britton made a difference.

“We got the goal and that was the most important thing, but in the future for the club, the fans and everyone involved, we need to make sure we are not in this situation again.

“It has been an up-and-down season, it is nearly finished but not quite.

“We had the attitude of a cup final, and they are never pretty games, but the result is what matters.

“I asked them to play with focus, concentration and solidarity and after the first half I asked them to play more aggressively and without nerves and we were better.”

Britton surprisingly started on the bench and even more surprisingly dangerman Sigurdsson was switched from his preferred No 10 role to wide on the left.

The Italian explained: “I wanted three midfielders and at the moment Mo Barrow is one of the best players.

“He wants to play on the right and with a striker as well, we moved Gylfi to the left.

“He is more dangerous playing inside, we had Mo Barrow wide but Sigurdsson played inside.

“The condition was that he could come in and be number 10 but that he started his movements from the left.

“I thought he could be dangerous there, but he is a No. 10.”