Goalkeeper Fraser Forster says his Southampton side are determined to continue the good work which has seen them concede five goals in their 11 Premier League games this season.

The Saints have kept seven clean sheets in those 11 games, with summer signing Forster and the back four in front of him laying the platform for a return of eight wins, one draw and two losses.

And the England international is desperate to maintain that sort of defensive strength in the coming months, with the Saints currently second in the Premier League table and on course to match their best-ever finish in the top-flight.

Southampton finished in second place in the old first division in the 1983/84 season, three points behind Liverpool.

And Forster hopes to be able to help his side emulate that feat, as he told the Daily Echo: “It’s been a fantastic start. We’re defending well as a team and hopefully we can keep doing that.

“It’s what we work hard on the training pitch on and it’s important to carry that through. There is no secret – we defend as a team, we have a settled back four and we make ourselves difficult to play against.

“We’re proud to have the best defensive record in the country, but that’s why we work hard on the training field all week and we don’t want it to end.”

The Saints return to action after the international break with a trip to Aston Villa on Monday November 24, with the visitors priced at 2.20 to keep another clean sheet and at 2.65 to win the game without conceding a goal.