Why Southampton were the OG giant killers long before the Premier League new breed

Southampton were once viewed as a Premier League mainstay.

Indeed, for 11 straight years between 2012 and 2023, the Saints were situated at the very top of the English game, and while they battled against the drop for a lot of those latter campaigns, they knew how to hold their own in the big time.

Nowadays, it's the Saints' near neighbours in Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth who are the South Coast underdogs lighting up the Premier League, with the Seagulls just fresh off a 3-0 hammering of Arsenal.

You can throw Brentford into the mix as well as a club who have managed to solidfy themselves as a Premier League regular, when they were once more well-known as an EFL outfit, with the three clubs mentioned now commonly known as the elite division's "Bermuda Triangle" in online circles.

The Premier League's Bermuda Triangle

Sky Sports have even penned an article looking at Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford in more detail, as the three clubs continue to perform swimmingly in the top-flight, whatever hurdle comes their way.

All three of the clubs mentioned have had to deal with notable player exits, alongside managers coming and going in the form of Graham Potter, Andoni Iraola, and Thomas Frank, yet they remain as as strong as ever.

The Seagulls have managed to qualify for European competitions twice since emerging into the promised land of the Premier League in 2017, alongside never being relegated, while under Marco Rose, the Cherries have just won a Europa League contest against Real Sociedad, on the La Liga side's own patch.

Brentford are currently unbeaten, too, with two wins and three draws from their opening five Premier League matches, with a 3-0 win against Chelsea sticking out as the most impressive result.

Southampton would love to be able to sit at this same table, but when they've been promoted in recent years, they've yo-yo'd between the top-flight and second tier.

Still, they stick out as being the original giant killers who feared nobody in the big time, when they were consistently punching above their weight in the 2010's, as the likes of Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino called St. Mary's home.

Southampton were the OG giant killers

Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford might be stealing all the headlines now, but the South Coast giants were the original trendsetters, long before any talk of the Bermuda Triangle arose.

From 2013 to 2017, the Saints never fell below eighth in the competitive Premier League standings, with their peak coming during the 2015/16 season, as a sixth place finish was clinched under Koeman.

A striking 18 wins would be secured that campaign from 38 league clashes, as Koeman and Co. beat the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool with ease, with Sadio Mane dazzling opposition defenders for fun, before he sealed a switch to Anfield.

It was the manner in which they'd beat the so-called Big Six without difficulty that stands out from memory, with the Gunners smashed 4-0 in late 2015, as Cuco Martina opened the scoring with an outrageous 30-yard screamer.

Arsene Wenger was shell-shocked by this 4-0 loss, stating that his side didn't have the "urgency" to overcome the energetic hosts.

Moreover, Chelsea and Manchester United would be beaten 3-1 and 1-0 on their own patch by Koeman's exciting troops, as they became the darlings of the entire division.

Unfortunately, it would all eventually unravel, as Eckert's men now compete in the Championship.

But, if they return soon, they will want to cement themselves as a daunting team, again, for the likes of Arsenal to face, having been the original giant slayers, long before Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford transformed into the terrifying and tenacious trio they're known as today.

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