Will the Hammers stop the Saints’ run?
Down to the last 16 in the English FA Cup. Sixteen teams still have hopes of winning the trophy this year. Among others, the Saints from Southampton welcome the team from West Ham United. In the league, the hosts ended a series of winless duels against the Hammers with a 3-2 victory on Boxing Day. Reason enough for the visitors to take revenge in this knockout match.
The hosts, however, can look back on a successful few weeks and have fought their way back into a secure mid-table position. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team has only suffered one defeat this year and will go into this match with a correspondingly high level of confidence. The bookmakers expect an open game and offer odds of 2.40 for a bet on the Saints in the match Southampton vs West Ham.
The visitors also look back on a successful February, in which the Hammers did not concede a defeat. Both teams are showing steady form at the moment, so we can look forward to an exciting match. Kick-off at St Mary’s Stadium is at 8.30pm. Will the hosts repeat their championship success and advance to the quarter-finals?
Southampton – Statistics & current form
Southampton FC started the current season quite badly. It was not until the eighth matchday that the first win of the season was celebrated. Nevertheless, those responsible stuck with coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, who has been with the Saints since December 2018. The trust is paying off in the meantime.
After the first 26 games, the red and whites have a record of 8-11-7. That adds up to 35 points and ninth place in the table. The last place, which entitles them to participate in an international competition, is currently occupied by the Gunners from London. The Saints are already ten points behind Arsenal. The hosts have now built up a fourteen-point cushion over the relegation zone.
Saints with just one defeat from their last ten games
The home side owe this to a run of ten league games with just one defeat. Only at Wolverhampton Wanderers did Hasenhüttl’s side lose 1:3. Otherwise, there were five wins and four draws. Even the league leaders from Manchester lost out to the Saints. Against the Citizens, the red and white secured a point with a 1-1 draw.
Their offensive output of 34 goals is only the ninth best in the league. The top scorer is Che Adams, who has scored six times so far. The defence has allowed 37 goals so far. That, too, only results in a midfield position in this statistic. However, in the last two games against Everton (2-0) and Norwich (2-0), the hosts finally managed to keep a clean sheet at the back.
Southampton have won the FA Cup before
The home side had to play twice in the FA Cup. Over Swansea City (3:2) and Coventry City (2:1) they reached the last 16. Here, the Saints take on the role of favourites and the bookmakers are making predictions in favour of a victory for the Red and Whites in the match between Southampton and West Ham. The Saints have won this competition before. In 1976, the hosts secured the trophy with a 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Predicted Southampton line-up:
Forster – Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters – Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Elyounoussi – Broja, Adams
Last matches played by Southampton:
Premier League
02/25 2022 – Southampton 2 – 0 Norwich
02/19 2022 – Southampton 2 – 0 Everton
02/12 2022 – Manchester United 1 – 1 Southampton
02/09 2022 – Tottenham 2 – 3 Southampton
FA Cup
02/05 2022 – Southampton 2 – 1 Coventry
West Ham – Statistics & current form
Last season, the Hammers finished a very good sixth in the table, which entitled them to participate in the UEFA Europa League. This year, the Londoners are well on their way to confirming last season’s result.
The Irons have collected 45 points from the games played so far, with thirteen wins and six draws. This puts the Bordeaux Reds in fifth place at the moment, but the table picture is still hugely skewed. Chasers Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolverhampton still have to play catch-up games and can catch up or even pass West Ham.
West Ham have gone four games without defeat
The last few games have been very successful for the Hammers. The visitors are unbeaten for four league matches. In addition to the points against Newcastle (1:1) and Leicester City (2:2), there were victories against Watford (1:0) and Wolverhampton (1:0).
Especially the offensive has been convincing so far. The Irons have already scored 46 times. Only the three top teams Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have scored more often. The best scorers in the ranks of head coach David Moyes’ team are Bowen and Antonio, who both managed to get past the opposing keeper eight times. The defence in front of goalkeeper Fabianski has allowed 34 goals so far.
The Hammers are successful on the road in the Europa League
The Londoners’ Europa League appearances have also been very successful. At the end of the group stage, the Irons were at the top of the table and went straight into the last 16. In the duels with Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and Genk, the Bordeaux reds conceded only one defeat.
In the FA Cup, Moyes’ side defeated Leeds United 2-0 and won 2-1 after extra time at Kidderminster Harriers. The winning goal came in the last minute and spared the visitors a penalty shoot-out. The Hammers take on the underdog role for now in the last 16.
Projected West Ham line-up:
Areola – Fredericks, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell – Soucek, Rice – Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals – Antonio
Last matches played by West Ham:
Premier League
02/27 2022 – West Ham 1 – 0 Wolverhampton
02/19 2022 – West Ham 1 – 1 Newcastle United
02/13 2022 – Leicester 2 – 2 West Ham
02/08 2022 – West Ham 1 – 0 Watford
FA Cup
02/05 2022 – Kidderminster 1 – 2 West Ham
Southampton – West Ham Direct Comparison / H2H Record
The two teams have faced each other a total of 76 times so far. The overall balance is almost even. 26 wins went to the hosts and 28 times the Hammers were successful. According to the bookmakers, the Saints will open up further this Wednesday. In the match between Southampton and West Ham, the bookmakers’ predictions see the Red and Whites with a slight advantage.
The two teams have met twice this season. After a 0-0 draw at St Mary’s Stadium, the Saints picked up all three points in a 3-2 away win at coach David Moyes’ side. The Londoners equalised twice before Bednarek scored the winner. It was Southampton’s first win after eight games without a win against the Hammers.
Southampton – West Ham Tip
We can look forward to a clash between two in-form teams. While the visitors have eight points from their last five league games, the Saints have eleven. Only Liverpool and Newcastle have been more successful. Accordingly, the bookmakers expect a match of equals with slight advantages for the red and whites. In the match between Southampton and West Ham, odds of 3.10 are paid for a bet on the Moyes team.
The hosts are convincing with a series of twelve matches with only one defeat. The Saints even managed two clean sheets in the last two duels. It will be exciting to see if the visitors’ strong attack can crack the Saints’ defensive bulwark. After all, the Hammers have one of the strongest offensive lines in the league.
We expect a duel in which little things will make the difference. In the end, we are more convinced by the home side’s winning streak, who also have the advantage of their own fans behind them. Therefore, our recommendation in the match Southampton vs. West Ham is to bet on a progress of the Saints at odds of 1.70 in the top
Alternatively, in the match Southampton vs West Ham, at odds of 1.89, we also put a few units on a duel with more than 2.5 goals. Both teams are in good form and will push the game forward.
