90’+4’Full TimeSecond Half ends, West Ham United 1, Southampton 0.90’+3’Attempt missed. Paul Onuachu (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by James Ward-Prowse with a cross following a set piece situation.90’+2’Attempt blocked. Said Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.90’+1’Attempt blocked. Said Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.90’+1’Offside, West Ham United. Jarrod Bowen tries a through ball, but Jesse Lingard is caught offside.90’Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Jannik Vestergaard.90’Attempt blocked. Said Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.89’Attempt blocked. Said Benrahma (West Ham United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.88’Substitution, West Ham United. Arthur Masuaku replaces Angelo Ogbonna.88’Substitution, West Ham United. Aaron Cresswell replaces Nayef Aguerd.88’Substitution, West Ham United. Pablo Fornals replaces Lucas Paquetá.87’Attempt missed. Paul Onuachu (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by James Ward-Prowse with a cross following a set piece situation.
West Ham United gained a crucial win over Southampton in the Premier League’s congested relegation scrap, lifting themselves out of the bottom three and leaving their opponents at the foot of the table. The decisive moment came when Nayef Aguerd guided home an accurate first-half header from Thilo Kehrer’s free-kick, which was only awarded after a lengthy VAR check for offside. Until deep into the second half, when Gavin Bazunu turned away Said Benrahma’s goalbound free-kick, it was the Hammers’ only effort on target.
Southampton were largely ineffective throughout the match, with Romeo Lavia and Carlos Alcaraz both having shots saved by Lukasz Fabianski. The closest they came to scoring was in the final minutes when Paul Onuachu headed against the bar, although he is still yet to score since joining the club from Genk in January.
Victory lifted West Ham to 14th in the table, while Southampton manager Ruben Selles faces a difficult week ahead, knowing six of the other eight teams in the relegation fight play at least once – and many twice – before his side play again. The Saints have struggled since Ralph Hasenhuttl’s dismissal in November, and have already dispensed with his replacement Nathan Jones, leaving them with little option other than to stick with Selles.
The key to West Ham’s win was likely the combination of Kurt Zouma and Aguerd at the back, who have only been paired together three times in the Premier League so far, but have secured seven points and two clean sheets in those games. Aguerd was injured in pre-season and did not make his debut until November, while Zouma had just got injured, so this was a rare opportunity for them to play together. They combined well and ensured Southampton could not exert pressure around the box, while Aguerd’s first goal for the club was an added bonus.
The result leaves Southampton in an unenviable position, knowing that even if they win their next game against Manchester City on 8 April, they will still remain in the bottom three as they have played more matches than the six teams immediately above them. With trips to Arsenal and Newcastle also coming up this month, their supporters will not be feeling optimistic about escaping their current predicament.
West Ham remain in peril of a unique double – a European trophy and relegation – but this result brings them closer to safety and gives them hope for the future as long as Zouma and Aguerd can continue to form a formidable partnership at the back.