RALPH HASENHUTTL has insisted that Southampton can sustain their strong start to the Premier League season, and that he can’t wait for this week’s tests against Arsenal and Man City.

Saints sealed their seventh win in 12 games this term, cruising to a 3-0 victory yesterday over struggling Sheffield United at St Mary’s.

Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond found the net as Saints thumped Chris Wilder’s Blades, moving third in the table, at least temporarily.

Saints will make the trip to Arsenal on Wednesday before hosting City on Saturday – and boss Hasenhuttl keenly awaits the two fixtures which he considers acid tests for his side.

“We know every game is tough, but as long as I see the guys are hungry, the mentality has changed completely at this club. There’s no reason, for me, why we shouldn’t keep playing like this,” said Hasenhuttl.

“We’ve got two big games now against Arsenal and Manchester City. And we need these games to see how good we are, to see how competitive we are.”

Saints bossed the game throughout and ultimately always appeared on course for victory.

Hasenhuttl hailed a hard-fought win and paid tribute to the returning fans, with 2,000 back inside St Mary’s.

“It was a job very well done I think, it was not as easy as it looked, especially against a team that had nothing to lose and sits very deep,” he said.

“It couldn’t be better to have the fans back today, to be honest. It was very emotional, you can celebrate with them when for months we haven’t seen them.”

The Blades have now become the first Premier League team since QPR in 2012 to fail to win in their first 12 matches, but boss Wilder remains convinced of his quest to reverse that slump.

“I get on with my job, I get up in the morning, have a shower, come in bright and do my work to the best of my ability. And that’s what we all do,” he said.