RONALD Koeman believes Saints reaching Europe will be the equivalent of Chelsea winning the Premier League title.

Koeman's side visit Manchester City today, for their final match of the season, hoping to nail down a spot in the Europa League.

They may have already done enough, as their current position of seventh would earn them a place in the third qualifying round if Arsenal beat Aston Villa in next Saturday's FA Cup final.

However, a win at the Etihad Stadium could send Saints as high as fifth, with Tottenham and Liverpool - the two sides immediately above them - facing tough away games, against Everton and Stoke respectively.

If Saints do reach the Europa League, Koeman insists it will be a huge achievement.

"In our opinion, if we reach European football it’s I think the same that Chelsea win the title," said the Saints manager.

“It’s a great achievement, it’s a big achievement for the club.

"With all the changes what happened in the summer, really to fight til the last game to reach European football is amazing."

A fifth-place finish would guarantee Saints a spot in the Europa League group stages.

Sixth would do the same if Arsenal win the cup, while it would earn them a place in the third qualifying round if Villa were victorious at Wembley.

Seventh, obviously, leaves things more on a knife-edge and Saints in danger of missing out.

“Ok, we try to win, we play to win Sunday and if we finished at seventh, ok, we have to wait one week more to know if we play the last qualification round for Europa League or not," said Koeman.

"If not, ok, still a little disappointed, of course, because the whole season we’re close to that achievement, but that’s football.

“That’s the best, to go straight to the group stage, of course."

Fifth would represent a stunning achievement for Saints, with Koeman underlining just how hard it would be for a club like them to ever go any higher than that.

“It’s very difficult, very difficult," he said.

"Normally big teams, they have maybe a bad month, but a bad season it’s difficult, because it’s too much quality of the players in the squads from them.

"But it’s growing, growing and reaching objectives and reaching European football and that means more interest to players, to bring players in, and little by little, because it can’t go like that. It’s always step by step."

But Koeman always maintains an optimistic outlook.

He said: "I mentioned that to the press before, that I think too much teams in the Premier League they are too much focused on not relegation.

"They play for not losing the game, and we play to win the game, and I think that’s a different mentality."