Big games will test Saints - Shaw
Luke Shaw is yet to score for club or country
Luke
Shaw believes positive results from the upcoming trips to Arsenal and
Chelsea will show Southampton can maintain their challenge at the top.
Saints
are third in the standings after their best-ever start to a top-flight
season, even trumping the 1983-84 campaign in which they finished
runners-up.
Mauricio Pochettino's side boast the best defensive
record in the Barclays Premier League and are unbeaten in eight matches,
although those records will come under pressure after the international
break.
Southampton return to action in a top-of-the-table clash
at leaders Arsenal, before returning to London to take on Chelsea the
following weekend - matches that Shaw knows will prove Saints' mettle.
"The
next two games we have got coming up will show whereabouts we are and
whether we can challenge for the top," the highly-rated left-back said.
"If you take points from there, you know you are doing well.
"It is two of the biggest clubs in the league and hopefully we are going to go there positive to pick up points."
Collecting points in the capital would be an impressive feat, but Shaw's immediate attention is on representing his country.
The
18-year-old is currently on duty with the England Under-21s and put in
an outstanding performance on Thursday evening as Gareth Southgate's
side beat Finland 3-0 in Milton Keynes.
"It was very dominant," Shaw said of the manner of victory.
"We knew from when we played them out in Finland that it was going to be a hard game.
"But
we knew when we play at our ground that we take full control and I
think we did that. Obviously in the first half I was told to stay back a
bit because sometimes when we lost the ball my space was free.
"But in the second half they went down to 10 men and it allowed me to get forward more."
That
did not mean Shaw was not bombing down the left in the first half,
though - in fact, it was the left-back's venomous strike that saw Saido
Berahino net his first goal of the night.
The full-back's effort
was destined for the bottom corner until a fine reaction save, meaning
his wait for a goal for club and country continues.
"Obviously we have got San Marino on Tuesday so you never know what might happen then," Shaw said.
"But I hope (my first goal) will be for Saints. I want to score at home."
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