Overdue Double Not Yet Achieved

Saturday afternoon’s fixture between West Ham United and Southampton in Stratford was a similarly tight affair to the reverse fixture back in December. The Saints had suffered the earliest relegation in Premier League history so there was real expectation from the home fans to get a first win since February 27. However, they could only manage a 1-1 draw.

Graham Potter changed formation and went with a back three. He also made three changes to his side from the late defeat against Liverpool at Anfield six days ago. Konstantinos Mavropanos and youngster Oliver Scarles dropped to the bench in favour of both Emerson Palmieri and Vladimír Coufal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka failed a late fitness test on an injured toe.

Contrary to reports earlier in the week that Aaron Cresswell was unavailable, due to his continued recovery from a muscle injury, the former Ipswich Town defender was deemed fit enough to be included in the match day squad. Tomáš Souček missed out on the starting line-up against the Reds and was amongst the substitutes here, while Andrew Irving was also an option for the Hammers Head-Coach.

Both James Ward-Prowse and Flynn Downes started against their former clubs.

Having picked up some positive results against the newly-promoted teams already this season and with the men from Hampshire having amassed only ten points in thirty two previous games, the hosts wanted to start well and they forced visiting goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into action early on when Niclas Füllkrug almost found the breakthrough but unfortunately for the home faithful, the former AFC Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Arsenal man kept his effort out.

West Ham were in again minutes later but Füllkrug failed to connect with a cross from Palmieri. Then, Saints’ defender Ryan Manning prevented Irons’ captain Jarrod Bowen from reaching the ball and the move ended, as Ramsdale gathered the ball easily.

Simon Rusk’s side were inches away from getting the opening goal, as Kamaldeen Sulemana had home goalkeeper Alphonse Areola beaten but thankfully, the Ghanaian’s shot took a deflection off Coufal’s calf and went wide. However, he wasn’t finished there, as his second attempt was well saved by the Frenchman. Even if the ball had gone in, it wouldn’t have counted as the linesman’s flag went up for offside.

The point that West Ham picked up at Goodison Park in March was a good one, the trouble is that they haven’t been able to build any momentum to take into April.

The top-flight’s bottom club were on top by this point in East London but Ward-Prowse then tried his luck but the effort was disappointing and no trouble for Ramsdale.

Rusk’s men continued to frustrate the majority inside the stadium. The visitors piled on the pressure but fortunately, Downes made a hash of his effort, before Kyle Walker-Peters wasted a good chance, following great team play from Paul Onuachu, Sulemana and Mateus Fernandes.

Minutes later, Areola was beaten by Sulemana again but thankfully, the ball hit the crossbar.

Ryan Manning and Onuachu then had further opportunities but the game remained goalless and when referee Andrew Kitchen blew the whistle for the break, there were boos from the home crowd.

The mood in the dressing room must have been bleak too, however, the atmosphere improved less than two minutes after the action had recommenced. Bowen had the home faithful cheering when he got past Manning and slammed the ball beyond Ramsdale and into the net.

Now that the hosts had a breakthrough, the mindset would have been to go and find more goals. They had chances to increase their advantage but the Saints’ defence remained resilient as Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paquetá and Bowen all had efforts blocked, while Carlos Soler also got involved but drove his attempt over the top.

Areola was kept busy at the other end, saving from both Sulemana, as well as visiting captain Jack Stephens.

The Hammers did have a goal ruled out by VAR for a push on Ramsdale by Füllkrug but the German turned provider for Luis Guilhernme, once Potter had introduced the Brazilian to take the place of Kudus on seventy five minutes but the youngster was kept out by Ramsdale at the near post.

Four more minutes had passed before Potter made a double change with Scarles and Souček coming on to take the places of Palmieri and Füllkrug.

Rusk had earlier shuffled his pack and introduced youngster Tyler Dibling for Sulemana and he wasted a golden chance to level the match when he found himself unmarked but to the relief of all connected with West Ham, he didn’t beat Areola.

Potter decided further changes were required on eighty six minutes and used his full quota of substitutes. Mavropanos and Evan Ferguson entered the fray for both Ward-Prowse and Bowen.

Five minutes of stoppage time were signalled and just as it looked like the Irons would match the scoreline of Boxing Day’s reverse fixture, deep into that extra period, the Saints levelled proceedings. A cross from Walker-Peters deflected off Max Kilman and the ball dropped invitingly for Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu. The former Fulham stopper may have been at fault for AFC Bournemouth’s equaliser a fortnight ago but there was nothing he could do about this one.

The boos continued at full-time, as Potter’s men had thrown away another advantage. Having said that, they did climb back up to sixteenth in the table ahead of Sunday’s encounters.

Next up for the Hammers Head-Coach is a trip to a place he knows very well. He takes his team to The American Express Stadium to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.