RUPERT LOWE believes the current Saints team is the best since he came to the club.

The Southampton chairman described a deep sense of pride after watching the 3-2 win against Double-winners Arsenal at St Mary's on Saturday - but instructed the players not to let up.

He said: "On Saturday I was delighted and proud to be chairman of the football club.

"Our boss Gordon Strachan rates Arsenal as the best team in Europe, so it is quite an achievement for us to beat them.

"It is always satisfying to beat the big teams who come and maybe expect to win here - I hope now we can go on and capitalise by enjoying similar success against other big sides.

"I really think we now have got the strongest team in my six years as chairman."

He added: "Saturday was an absolutely outstanding performance.

"I thought we deserved to win - we played extremely well and Gordon got the tactics right.

"The success as ever is a blend of what happens on and off the pitch and everyone can take some credit - games like Saturday give us all a great pleasure."

But Lowe stressed that one famous performance didn't make a season.

"We have a long way to go yet and the time to properly reflect is at the end of the season.

"Before that we expect to win many more games," he said.

"We are judged on the whole season, not just one game.

"There is still more than 20 games to go and our motto remains to fear nobody but to respect everybody."

"We are in a good position, but we could be even better. Hopefully this will give us more confidence, but you should never rest on your laurels.

"We have set our standard and the challenge now is to keep it going.

"You must never, ever allow any complacency," he warned.

A successful full Premiership debut for Agustin Delgado particularly pleased the Saints chairman.

The Ecuadorean international had a hand in the first two goals and scored the third to finally begin to pay back his £3.2m transfer fee after a year at St Mary's.

"I was delighted to see Delgado get a goal and he took the ball off Pascal Cygan very well for the second and won the foul for the first goal," said Lowe.

"He did very well but I shouldn't single anyone out as I thought all the players were outstanding."

Saints reserves travel to Charlton tonight for their latest game in the Barclaycard Premiership reserve league south.

Referee Paul Durkin insists he will not reconsider his decision to send off Arsenal's Sol Campbell against Saints at the weekend, claiming he had "no alternative" after the foul when Agustin Delgado was clear on goal. Campbell will miss the crucial trip to Manchester United in December.