The dark horses of the English Premier League

Southampton flourished under Mauricio Pochettino in the second half of the season, scalping the likes of Manchester City enroute to their late surge last season.

Southampton

The Saints did not look like a strong team starting the previous season, but they did manage to pull off a few upsets. In preparation off their first season back in the 2012-13 Premier League season, Southampton broke the club’s record twice as they signed Jay Rodriguez, Gaston Ramirez and Maya Yoshida.

These players along with players like Ricky Lambert, Jack Cork and player of the year Morgan Schneiderlin, have created a team with the right blend of youth and experience. Saints now look like a team strong enough capable of the occasional upsets and will back themselves to keep the momentum they gathered from the previous season.

Another big-money signing has been completed by Southampton, bringing in more stability to the back four by signing 24-year-old Lyon center back Dejan Lovren and Celtic player Victor Wanyama. Though Southampton finished 14th in the previous season, they look like a formidable unit ready to take any of the top teams in the Premier League.