Mauricio Pochettino insists the secret behind Saints’ record equalling away day success is that they are ‘true to themselves’.

Rickie Lambert’s stoppage time winner at Swansea gave Saints a seventh away victory this season – levelling their best ever top flight effort in 1991/92 and 1983/84.

It also left them needing just one point from their final game at home to Manchester United to set their highest top flight points tally for 29 years.

With it being notoriously difficult to win away from home in the Premier League, Saints’ stats are remarkable.

“It’s the fact that we’ve shown playing away and at home the same character,” said Pochettino as he attempted to explain it.

“We’ve tried to play the same way and with the same style, whether we are home or away.

“We’ve always tried to be true to ourselves.”

Despite all the records that continue to tumble in a superb campaign for Saints, Pochettino was not prepared to talk it up to much.

“The media has to be the one that answers that question. I can’t answer that question for myself,” he replied when asked if the season had exceeded expectations.

“We have shown throughout the entire season that we want to win and we have given our all this season to always show that same drive to want to win and to also get the maximum number of points.”

The game against Swansea was a relatively flat affair but the later winner did make it a big result in terms of the latest set of records they were chasing.

“It’s a difficult game to play because you see that both clubs have already achieved their goals for the season,” reflected Pochettino.

“Mathematically we couldn’t go higher than the eighth position but overall we played with a lot of intensity.

“We played well, we played in the manner we know how to play.

“Perhaps it wasn’t a spectacular game but we did achieve the three points which help us to achieve the maximum number of points we have achieved in any Premier League season and also the maximum number of wins away from home.

“These three points are massive.”

Speaking of the bizarre winning goal, he smiled: “In the history of football there has been even more bizarre goals, but I guess it can happen.

“Overall we did very well.

“We are very happy with the victory we achieved and also with the team’s performance.”