Saints are gunning for a hat-trick of records as they return to Premier League action at West Ham this weekend.

Victory for Mauricio Pochettino’s men would mark the first time in the Premier League era the club have won six away games in a season, notched three away wins in a row and the earliest they have crashed through the magical 40 points total.

It would be quite an achievement for Saints in what has been a superb league campaign so far.

Arguably the most significant of the three records would be to bounce back from the criticism of the FA Cup exit at Sunderland and make it six away wins this season, which shows a remarkable consistency and resilience to playing on the road.

Saints have never before managed it in the Premier League era, with the five away wins they currently have to their name matching their best previous effort achieved in 2001/02.

In the post-war era they have managed seven, eight and even nine away wins in a season – the latter coming in 1965/66 - but they have always been in seasons where the division was larger than the one they currently play in.

The last time Saints managed three top flight away wins in a row was also before the Premier League era. That came way back in 1991/92.

Coincidentally, the third away win of that run came against West Ham at Upton Park with a 1-0 victory to follow up beating Manchester City and Everton by the same scoreline.

Saints’ current back-to-back away Premier League wins have come at Fulham and Hull.

It’s a mark of how far Saints have come in such a short space of time that relegation wasn’t ever something that crossed anybody’s mind this season. Instead Saints have always been looking up at who they can catch.

Reaching the mythical 40 point barrier is a relief for any club who is not competing for the title as it pretty much guarantees safety and another year of Premier League football.

Even if Saints only draw with West Ham they will hit the 40 point mark, with a win seeing them crash through that barrier.

It will be the earliest they have done that since the Premier League came into existence.

The previous best was when they hit that marker on March 1, 2003, as the club were on their way to finishing eighth and reaching the FA Cup final.

Prior to that, the most remarkable season was when they reached 40 point total on January 29, 1985, after just 25 games in what proved to be Lawrie McMenemy’s last season in charge.