Saints are in pole position to secure a third consecutive top ten finish in English football for only the second time in the club’s history.

You have to go back more than 30 years to find the last time that Saints recorded a hat-trick of back-to-back top ten finishes in the top flight, that under Lawrie McMenemy.

However, with just four games left to play of this season, Saints look like achieving that feat again, and setting themselves up for a potential record breaking campaign next time out.

They finished eighth in 2013/14 under Mauricio Pochettino, and bettered that last term with a highest finish of the Premier League era in Ronald Koeman’s first season at St Mary’s of seventh.

Saints are currently seventh, and have a ten point cushion over 11th placed Everton, albeit the Toffees have a game in hand, making Koeman’s men strong favourites to finish in the top half again.

Saints finished eighth, sixth and seventh respectively in 1979/80, 1980/81 and 1981/81.

There was then a minor blip as they ended 1982/83 in 12th place, but that was followed by Saints’ highest ever top flight finish of second in 1983/84, and a highly creditable fifth in 1984/85, McMenemy’s final season in charge and the last of the regular top half finishes for Saints until recent years.

As well as trying to make the Europa League, a bigger concern for Saints this season is to continue their recent progress by beating last year’s points tally.

They will need to remain unbeaten until the end of the season if they are to do that.

Koeman’s side have racked up 51 points from their 34 games so far, meaning they require another ten to surpass last season’s total of 60 points.

That means three wins and a draw, or four victories, are required.

Saints have a good chance to put three points on the board on Saturday when they take on already relegated Aston Villa at Villa Park.

They then face Manchester City at home, on paper a difficult fixture but with the game coming in the middle of the Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid, and with the visitors having little to play for in the top flight, they may choose to rest players.

Then comes a tricky trip to Tottenham. Pochettino’s side may still be chasing results for the title, but if not then their season will be dribbling to a conclusion.

The final day sees Saints host Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace, who are marooned in lower midtable.