West Ham United face Southampton on Sunday in a clash that has become crucial for the Hammers. A shocking start to the season sees them lying in 18th place with three points from five games, not to mention being knocked out of Europe by a Romanian team which could be mistaken for a car and just about scraping past League 2 Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup in the 96th minute.
Southampton, meanwhile, have enjoyed an uneventful start to life under new manager Claude Puel, with two draws, a win, and two losses away to Arsenal and Manchester United. Although it must be said, they have not looked too impressive in the Premier League. They sit just four places ahead of West Ham and a win for the Hammers this weekend would see them leapfrog their opponents in the table.
West Ham and Southampton have been fairly equal in the last five years. They both got promoted from the Championship in the same season (2011/12) and have both remained in the Premier League since, enjoying a similar level of success which most promoted teams don’t get to enjoy in the first five years after they’ve been promoted. The last five results in games between them reflect that too, with two wins for each side and a draw.
