Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has paid tribute to his players following Sunday's 4-2 success over Manchester City in the Premier League.

A close-range finish from Shane Long and a Sadio Mane hat-trick saw the Saints overcome Manuel Pellegrini's side to move above Liverpool and into seventh position in the Premier League table.

Koeman's side are now just two points off sixth-placed West Ham United, and the Dutchman is targeting an improvement on last season's Premier League finish of seventh.

"It's very good to win against teams like City. You have to be at your best. The first 45 minutes we played great football. Even in the second half we did everything you need to do," Koeman told Sky Sports News.

"It's an important win because we are still fighting for Europe. We have passed Liverpool and that's good. We need two more wins. Last year was a fantastic season with 60 points. We have 57 now – maybe we can do better than last season, which would be incredible."

Next up for Southampton in the Premier League is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on May 8.