PIERRE-EMILE Hojbjerg is “surprised” to see Wolves doing so well.

Today’s visitors are currently in the midst of a stunning first season back in the Premier League.

They are eighth in the table, chasing a Europa League qualifying spot, and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup.

The Saints captain said: “Of course you are surprised when the promoted team is eighth.

“I think if you see how they play and the players they have, they have really grown into the Premier League.

“Wolves have taken the next step and when you see them playing now, they are playing very well.

“They have had an amazing season and they have really had some great results.

“They almost reached the FA Cup final, so there is a big respect for them, but it’s a game we want to win and a game we want to get maximum points from.

“We know we still need to get the points to have the survival, but we are in a good way and we will do our best.”

Wolves have beaten Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea already this season, as well as getting the better of Saints in the reverse fixture.

Despite this, the Molineux side have shown their performances to be inconsistent.

Already relegated Huddersfield completed the double over Nuno Espirito Santo’s side back in February.

As well as that, in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final, they were cruising to victory with a two-goal lead before throwing it away, eventually losing 3-2 to Watford after extra time.

Saints midfielder Hojbjerg revealed that it’s not unusual for your performances to drop against the lower sides, perhaps explaining why Wolves have struggled against teams below them.

“I think something happens to you when you know you have [Mo] Salah, [Sergio] Aguero or [Eden] Hazard playing against you,” explained Hojbjerg.

“You always play at 100 per cent but with these players the respect is bigger.

“For Southampton at the moment every game is important, and anything can happen in any game because it’s the Premier League.

“Wolves is a big game for us and we will try to go to the game with the exact same mindset as we did for Liverpool.”

Saints know that a win will all but secure their Premier League status for another season – especially if Cardiff are beaten by Burnley.

And Hojbjerg said the St Mary’s side will be ready to pounce on Wolves if they turn up with an air of complacency amongst the ranks.

He added: “Oh, we would [punish them].

“If they sleep, we are ready.”