NO player in England's top four divisions managed more than Adam Armstrong's 24-goal and 13-assist haul last season.
His 37 goal contributions also outscored the top performers in La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane was the only player in the top five leagues to outperform Armstrong's goal involvement figures.
If you look at these figures in isolation it's a wonder why anybody would doubt the Geordie forward heading into the new Premier League campaign.
He's just had the best season of his career. However, history hasn't been all that kind to the 27 year old.
Before reviving his Saints career in the Championship last season, he was struggling for goals.
He'd only managed four across his first two seasons at the club while playing in the top flight - returning a goal for every £3.75million they spent on him.
The former Blackburn forward didn't have a clear role in the squad during this period. He was used as a winger, striker and even a wing-back.
Suggesting his lack of fixed position was due to his poor form would be fair, but you can also reach a point where this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.
A player's role is reduced due to poor form but their lack of regular game time then prevents that player from gaining any real momentum.
Armstrong played more minutes in last season (4,436) than he did across his first two years at St Mary's (4,130).
This isn't the first time Armstrong has entered a Premier League campaign off the back of a dazzling Championship campaign either.
The 28-goal return for Blackburn during 2020/21 was the primary reason the club decided to sign him three years ago.
What's different this time around is that he's now working under a manager who has placed full faith in him to deliver the goods.
Whether he is drifting in off the right in search of goals or dropping deep before running in behind, Armstrong's actions are now central to what Southampton do.
That has afforded him a level of confidence he hadn't previously experienced in a Saints shirt.
"I learned a lot in those two years in the Premier League," the under-20 World Cup winner told the Daily Echo ahead of the new campaign.
"When the gaffer came in, he gave me the opportunity to play as a striker and off the wing. He gave me the armband. He gave me the extra push. The extra buzz.
"Confidence in a footballer is massive. There is always going to be places in the squad where people are going to be pushing you.
"Everything clicked last season. It was tough knowing that I could do it in the Championship. I'd done it before but there will always be different challenges.
"It feels different this time around because I'm with Southampton."
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The number of shots Armstrong took per 90 minutes increased last season, which was to be expected given the drop into the Championship.
His numbers climbed from 2.03 per 90 to 3.04 per 90 - an increase of just under 50 per cent.
What's more interesting is where his shots came from - and more specifically, where he got the most joy from.
In the graphic below, Armstrong's shot map during his two seasons in the Premier League is compared to his shot map last season.
As you can see, Armstrong shot from a more widespread area in the Championship.
The increase in shots from the right side can be put down to him playing more regularly on the right wing.
This positional alteration has allowed Armstrong to get the best out of his movement and shooting tendencies.
He's now running onto shots with his stronger foot and is being allowed to fire across goal, which is a strong trait of his.
Take this goal against Ipswich for example. Having been played through by Stuart Armstrong's excellent through ball, he drills a first-time finish into the bottom corner.
This is a situation he found himself in regularly last season. He wasn't afforded this luxury in the Premier League.
"I want to do it again in the Premier League. If I am playing on the wing or as a striker I’m always going to try and make runs. That’s my instinct," Armstrong added
"I’m not the type of player who is going to do loads of tricks. I’m definitely going to be in and around the box this year and hopefully I can score a few goals along the way."
While playing off the left, he tended to come inside where the area is more congested and less conducive to a first-time finish.
In the example below, taken from Southampton's game against AFC Bournemouth, Armstrong's desire to shoot with his right foot is clearly highlighted.
Having received the ball on the left, he cuts inside and continues to dribble until he can create enough space to shoot with his right foot.
His run is excellent, but it's still not enough to prevent Joe Rothwell from immediately blocking his shot behind for a corner.
This example is in keeping with the trend that Armstrong took longer to shoot in the Premier League than he did in the Championship prior to making the switch.
While the difference is only a matter of a couple hundred milliseconds, that can make a real difference and will need to be remedied this time around.
Speaking before Southampton's opening game against Newcastle United, Russell Martin summed things up best.
"Arma was a really talented player before we got here. Now he's playing in a team that suits him best.
"He's technically gifted, he runs really hard. Last season he had more of an opportunity to show what he can do.
"Hopefully that will translate into the Premier League. He knows himself more. He understands his strength and the team.
"It was a beautiful privilege to watch some of our players grow in confidence last season and Arma was one of them."