Five talking points from Game week 9 in the Premier League

Is it time to take Southampton seriously?

Southampton: Springing up surprises

On the face of it, it is a no-brainer. Almost one-fourth of the season gone and Southampton are sitting pretty in fifth place, above both Manchester clubs. They are solid at the back and are playing some attractive football to boot. They have already racked up six clean sheets and their record of just three goals conceded is second best in all of the top European leagues, only Roma, who have conceded just one goal can claim to have a better defensive record than the Saints.

And whilst it is true that there are always surprise packages that start the season really well, West Brom last year and Newcastle the year before, the Saints look like they might well have the staying power to last longer than most. Their game is built on a rock solid defense and as they say great defenses win Championships. And whilst they aren’t going to win the League, there is a very good chance that they end the season by qualifying for Europe.