REMEMBER the date, because I think it could be important come the end of the season.

Saturday, December 13 and a hard-fought, but much-deserved, 1-0 win over Southampton could be the result that keeps us in the Premier League.

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Ahead of a run of games which includes Spurs, Manchester City and Newcastle away – and Liverpool at home – it was important we got some kind of result against the Saints.

And what a result. Ronald Koeman’s side may have been on the slide in recent weeks – coming into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats – but they’re still a great side and their start to the season was no fluke.

So to come away with all three points, and a clean sheet, is a superb result.

We may have had a little bit of luck with the goal, Ashley Barnes’ strike taking a wicked deflection to take it past Fraser Forster but you make your luck in this game and our performance certainly deserved that little rub of the green.

That said it was the determination of Danny Ings that led to the goal, which came from a Southampton throw no less.

The goal came after a penalty save at the other end that had nothing to do with luck.

Had Dusan Tadic converted his kick it would have been harsh on us because, despite Southampton turning the screw in the second half, they were never able to turn that into chances of note.

The result means we have now taken 11 points from a possible 18 and I think we are starting to realise what it takes to be a Premier League club.

On Saturday we were that little bit smarter at running the clock down.

I’m not going to pretend the next few games aren’t going to be tough – probably our toughest run of the campaign – but we’ve got to go into every game with the belief that we can get something.

We’re out of the relegation zone and we deserve to be so.

I just hope we can spread a little festive cheer over the next couple of weeks!