Two of the Premier League’s most in-form sides go head-to-head on Saturday with Saints’ goalscoring sensations Graziano Pelle and Sadio Mane looking to take apart one of the top flight’s meanest defences.

Pelle and Mane have been on great form this season, with 15 goals between them in all competitions helping fire Saints to within three points of the top four.

The last six league games have seen Ronald Koeman’s men leap up to second place in the Premier League form table, with Saturday’s visitors to St Mary’s, Stoke, just one place behind in third.

The Potters have taken only one point less than Saints’ haul of 14 from their last six top flight matches, but remarkably have conceded just three goals in that time. Only Manchester United can match that defensive record.

Indeed, such has been the miserly nature of Stoke’s defence away from home this season, they haven’t conceded on the road since September 12 when they were beaten by Arsenal, keeping three consecutive clean sheets in the process.

That has in part been down to the form of goalkeeper Jack Butland.

The young stopper was once sought after by Saints, who moved to try and bring him to St Mary’s in 2012.

However, at that time he was reluctant to leave Birmingham unless he would be first choice and with so little experience under his belt that was never likely to be the case immediately.

Instead that summer Saints recruited Artur Boruc and Paulo Gazzaniga to compete alongside Kelvin Davis for the goalkeeping position.

Last year Saints made their move for Fraser Forster, paying Celtic £10m for the keeper.

Though Forster has been missing since March through injury, he is on his way back to fitness and is expected to return to the Saints side in time to push his case to be ahead of Butland in the England pecking order for Euro 2016.

Butland got a game for his country in the midweek friendly victory over France, coming on at half time, but with the likes of Forster and Joe Hart for competition the man who moved to Stoke in 2013 knows he has his work cut out to stay as Roy Hodgson’s number one.

Butland will no doubt be aiming to keep his impressive recent record going at St Mary’s, but will be up against it.

Despite their recent form, overall Stoke are only one goal better off than Saints in terms of their defensive record during the course of the Premier League season. Stoke have let in just 12 goals, with Saints leaking only 13.

Saints are also in great form and looking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches in the Premier League and nine in all competitions.