Win tonight and we’ll be back in the race for european qualification.
Our home defeat to Southampton earlier this season was a performance no different to those of last season that had us all calling for Allardyce’s head – arguably the worst of our season so far.
But since then we’ve been brilliant, aside from a few exceptios. In fact, our improvement this season has been compared with Southampton’s, although we’ve managed to slip off the pace somewhat recently.
Our draw last weekend against Man United was a good one in hindsight, and it shows just how far we’ve come since last season when we’re disappointed to have only drawn with the Premier League’s most successful team ever.
It certainly won’t be easy, but as long as Allardyce continues to stick with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia as a strike partnership then we’ve got every chance of beating anyone.
So to get you in the mood for tonight’s crucial meeting at St. Mary’s Stadium, here’s all you need to know about our recent form as a whole, and against Southampton, courtesy of kick-off.co.uk. It might just help you with your bets as well…
1. West Ham have won nine, drawn six and lost five of their last 20 Premier League games.
2. In their last 20 away games, West Ham have averaged 1.2 goals per game and conceded 1.4 per game on average.
3. West Ham haven’t won at St. Mary’s since November 2000, but have taken a point from three of their last four trips to the south coast.
4. Mark Noble has scored more Premier League goals against Southampton (3) than any other opponent.
5. Don’t expect a goal fest, 10 of the 13 of these Premier League fixture at St Mary’s have seen less than three goals being scored.
6. However, six of the last eight of these fixtures overall have seen both West Ham and Southampton finding the net.
7. This could be good news for the Hammers, as Southampton have won only one of their last seven home Premier League games when the opposition has scored.
8. In their last 20 away games, 14 of the 24 goals scored by West Ham have come from forwards, nine from midfielders and one from defenders.
9. West Ham have scored a league-high 14 headed goals this season, with Diafra Sakho scoring two more than any other player in the league (5).
10. In their last 20 away games, West Ham have scored the first goal eight times and conceded the first goal 11 times.
Fancy a bet on the Hammers and their trip to St Mary’s? Head over to KickOff’s Southampton v West Ham predictions page for everything you need.
