Southampton go into tomorrow’s home game against Everton looking for their first Premier League win in four matches.

Claude Puel’s side have won three and drawn five of their opening 12 league games, but know a win over their former manager Ronald Koeman tomorrow could fire them into the top half of the table.

Draws against Manchester City and Liverpool are hugely respectable efforts, but the defeat away at Hull will be the one that frustrated Saints fans, especially as Charlie Austin gave Puel’s side an early lead in the game.

Nevertheless, Southampton are 11th in the table with 14 points from 12 games, and have so far combined their league and Europa League efforts pretty well.

Puel’s men have got a great chance of qualifying for the knockout stages in Europe despite their defeat at Sparta Prague on Thursday, as victory over Hapoel Be’er Shava at St Mary’s in a few weeks’ time will see them through.

However, their recent stutter has increased speculation about who Puel may look to bring in to strengthen his squad, so they are capable of being competitive in both domestic and European competitions in the second half of the season.

Thus, here is the dream Southampton front line, including one key January target…

AM – Dusan Tadic

He may not have recorded an assist yet this season, but Dusan Tadic goes some way to making Southampton tick.

The 28-year-old is often the one involved earlier on in the move before a Saints goal, but it’s his contributions which help provide opportunities for the likes of Nathan Redmond and Charlie Austin to shine.

Tadic’s seven goals and 12 assists in the Premier League last time around indicates how influential a player he is in the final third, and it’s just a matter of time before he adds to his one goal and zero assists this season.

ST – Charlie Austin

Charlie Austin has scored goals at every football club he has been at, and how many he will score at Southampton will depend on how often he stay fit and remains injury-free.

The 27-year-old started the season behind fellow forward Shane Long in the pecking order, but usurped the Republic of Ireland international with a run of seven goals in six games.

Austin scored 18 times for QPR when they got relegated from the top-flight back in 2015, and has proved time and again what a clinical forward he is in front of goal.

At the moment, he is fit and firing, and looks set to be the number one forward at St Mary’s this season should he remain injury-free.

ST – Daniel Sturridge

Could Daniel Sturridge leave Liverpool in January?

It certainly looks like he could be on his way out, given that the sensational form of forwards Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, and Roberto Firmino has restricted the England striker to just four Premier League starts so far this season.

Sturridge has yet to net in the league so far, but reminded us all of what he can do by firing a brace in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Tottenham in the League Cup last month.

He has also looked sharp for England when leading the line, and scored a fantastic header against Scotland a few weeks ago.

Many Premier League clubs have been linked with the 27-year-old, but a partnership with Austin, with Tadic and possibly Redmond just behind, is a frightening prospect for any top-flight defence.