EPL: Hammers ambush Saints

West Ham vs. Southampton
Venue: London Stadium
Kick off: 4PM

West Ham United play host to Southampton today potentially requiring all three points to retain their spot in the top five of the Premier League standings.

Meanwhile, the Saints are without success in their last six top-flight fixtures, leaving the visitors down in 15th position ahead of the trip to the London Stadium.

With a hectic schedule and several injuries to key players, it was somewhat inevitable that West Ham would eventually encounter an inconsistent run.

Nevertheless, David Moyes would have expected far better than a return of five points from six Premier League games, the solitary win coming at home to Chelsea.

Michail Antonio’s lack of form in the final third has hurt the Hammers, as will his coronavirus-related absence over the Christmas period, but it gives other players an opportunity to show that Moyes should not rely heavily on the forward.

Jarrod Bowen netted a brilliant goal during Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup, although he has also struggled for consistency in the final third with that strike representing just his fifth of the campaign.

On a positive note, Moyes was left encouraged by the performance in North London, and it may be enough to lift his players ahead of what will be regarded as must-win game today.

Up until the start of November, there were signs that Southampton had fully recovered from their slow start by collecting 10 points over a four-match period.

However, just three points have come from the following six fixtures, heaping the pressure on Ralph Hasenhuttl with just three wins being recorded from 17 games this season.

Although just five points separate ninth and 15th, Southampton have not looked like a side who are capable of putting together the kind of results which can quickly move them up towards mid-table.

Chelsea loanee Armando Broja continues to be the bright spot of an underwhelming campaign, the 20-year-old having now scored four times from just 621 minutes of top-flight football.

West Ham possible XI: Fabainski, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Johnson, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma, Yarmolenko.

Southampton possible XI: Caballero, Livramento, Salisu, Lyanco, Walker-Peters, Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Redmond, Broja, Tella.