Ronald Koeman has described Saints’ away form against the Premier League’s big guns as “a dream.”

Saints have beaten Manchester United and Chelsea on the road during this campaign and earned a point at Arsenal and Liverpool.

They rode their luck a little at the Emirates last night, and were indebted to an amazing display of goalkeeping from Fraser Forster.

However, they managed to hold on for another great result thanks to their character as a team.

Daily Echo: Southampton manager Ronald Koeman believes his club is expertly run

“That’s normally one of our strengths,” insisted Koeman.

“We are a team who can play against big teams, better teams, more quality teams because we play out of good organisation.

“It was not normal that Arsenal create so many chances against us. Normally we are defending better than today.

“The season is difficult and the last few weeks we get the confidence back.

“The fourth clean sheet in a row is giving the confidence to the players.

“To get one point against Arsenal, to win against Manchester United away, a win against Chelsea away, a point against Liverpool away is amazing. It’s a dream for Southampton.”

Koeman switched formation for last night’s game, leaving behind the system which had produced three wins on the spin to go back to his more traditional 4-2-3-1, but didn’t believe that had a negative impact.

“I don’t think so because we had a good talk about this to change it because in the last few weeks most of the opponents played with two in front and then of course I prefer to play with three at the back,” he reasoned.

“Arsenal is playing with three in front and if you put five defenders you miss one or two players to control on the midfield because they are so good and they don’t need a big space to create.

“It was not the system.

“Arsenal offensively had not the productivity but offensive wise they create a lot and they play fantastic.”

Saints could have got even more from the game had they been able to take one of their chances on the break, with Sadio Mane again causing havoc with his pace but unable to finish.

Koeman agreed that Mane looks a little short of confidence.

He said: “I think so. It’s not the first time.

“Sadio is working hard but also against Man United we need to take more out of that kind of chances what we can create and the final pass we have to put more quality in.

“We punished Arsenal at home and also we had some good opportunities to punish them today.

“Of course they were the better team but a few moments in the second half we didn’t really punish them and that makes it more difficult.”