Once a relegation contender, Southampton has won 8 of its first 12 games

Widely tipped as a possible relegation contender following its summer of upheaval, Southampton has stunned English football by winning eight of its first 12 games to sit in second place in the Premier League and split the country’s established powers.

The results of Southampton’s next three games could show whether it has the ability to hang around for the long haul. The team managed by former Netherlands defender Ronald Koeman hosts champion Manchester City on Sunday to kick off a challenging run of fixtures that sees it play Arsenal and Manchester United in the next two rounds and then Everton and Chelsea later in December.

If the south-coast club comes through that tough schedule boasting some victories and with its self-belief intact, the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, United and Arsenal — teams struggling for form in the race for the Champions League places — may start to worry.

“I think it’s possible,” a bullish Koeman said of Southampton’s chances of a top-four finish, “because I don’t see a lot of teams that are better than Southampton.”

Southampton lost its manager Mauricio Pochettino and many of its best players in the off-season, including Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren to Liverpool and Luke Shaw to United, but their replacements have taken no time to fit in. Players like winger Dusan Tadic and striker Graziano Pelle have been among the revelations of the season so far and Koeman already has the air of a Premier League veteran in just his first year in English football.

Southampton is six points behind unbeaten Chelsea but two clear of City, seven ahead of United and already has 12 more than sputtering Liverpool.

If it wasn’t for the brilliant form of Sergio Aguero, Man City would not be in a position where it has the chance to move second in the standings with a win at St.Mary’s stadium this weekend. The Argentina striker took his goal tally in all competitions this season to 17 in 18 games by scoring a hat trick — including two late strikes – in City’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

With Yaya Toure a shadow of last season and City’s defense looking porous, Aguero’s goals are carrying the champions. “He is unstoppable,” City midfielder Samir Nasri said. “At the moment, he is one of best players in the world. Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on another planet, he is up there with (Lionel) Messi and (Luis) Suarez.”

If Chelsea was the “little horse” in last season’s title race, in the words of coach Jose Mourinho, this season it is a thoroughbred.

The London club is still unbeaten in the league heading into an away match at Sunderland on Saturday, with a 5-0 thrashing of Schalke in the Champions League the latest show of strength from Chelsea. “Everything the players do is with big focus and ambition, but at the same time with this component, which is something new in Chelsea football — this happiness, this flair, this beauty,” Mourinho said.

Man United’s 2-1 victory at Arsenal last weekend was a signature result for Louis van Gaal in his tempestuous first season in charge at Old Trafford.

Shaw out with injury

It was United’s first win against a top team this season and lifted the 20-time English champions back into the top four, where it will be desperate to get back in the lucrative Champions League.

Manchester United left back Luke Shaw will miss a “few weeks” after suffering ankle ligament damage, but striker Radamel Falcao could be in line to return against Hull City on Saturday, manager Louis van Gaal said.

Shaw lasted only 16 minutes of last week’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and is set for his second spell on the sidelines after joining from Southampton for 30 million pounds ($47 million) in the close season.

There was better some news on the injury front from Van Gaal, whose depleted backline could be bolstered by the return of Marcos Rojo who has started training again after recovering from a dislocated shoulder.On-loan striker Falcao, who has not featured since United drew 2-2 at West Bromwich Albion on Oct. 20, could also make the squad after recovering from a recurrence of a calf injury.

(with Reuters inputs)