West Ham United will host Southampton at the London Stadium on Saturday, eager to bounce back from the disappointing run of results in recent weeks.

West Ham United have failed to win their last five league matches, and they will be desperate to bounce back in the game vs Southampton at the London Stadium on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if they can produce a strong performance at home and grind out all three points.

It has been a disappointing season for the East London outfit, and they are 17th in the Premier League table. The Hammers will not want to go down this season, and they must start picking up points now. On the other hand, Southampton have been the worst team in the division, and they are at the bottom of the league table.

The Saints have barely won any games in the Premier League this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can pull off an upset here. Southampton will be playing for pride for the remainder of the campaign, and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up and deliver. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

West Ham United

Graham Potter is without Michail Antonio, who is recovering from car crash injuries. Crysencio Summerville misses out with a hamstring issue, while Aaron Cresswell has a knock.

West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Southampton, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos.

As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez will start alongside Carlos Soler in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. James Ward-Prowse will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.

Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will add creativity, flair, and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Mohammed Kudus will lead the line for West Ham United vs Southampton on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson; Rodriguez, Soler; Paqueta, Ward-Prowse, Bowen; Kudus

Southampton

Charlie Taylor and Albert Gronbaek are missing due to injury for the away side. Southampton will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs West Ham United on Saturday, with Aaron Ramsdale in goal.

In the back three, Taylor Harwood-Bellis will start alongside Jan Bednarek and Nathan Wood. Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit West Ham on the break.

As for the midfield unit, Mateus Fernandes will start alongside Flynn Downes in the middle of the park. They will look to add physicality and defensive cover to the side. Kamaldeen Sulemana will start alongside Tyler Dibling in the wide roles, and they will look to create goalscoring chances for Cameron Archer, who will lead the line for Southampton vs West Ham on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Bednarek; Sugawara, Fernandes, Downes, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Sulemana; Archer

Key Stats

• Southampton have lost seven of their last eight matches in the Premier League.
• West Ham have been winning at both half time and full time in five of their last six home matches against Southampton in all competitions.
• West Ham have failed to win five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
• 13 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.

Player to Watch

Mohammed Kudus

The West Ham United attacker has been in impressive form despite his team’s struggles. He was quite impressive against Liverpool in the 2-1 defeat last time out, and he will look to continue here. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and add to his goal tally for the season. West Ham will need him to step up and make a difference in the final third. It has been an underwhelming campaign for West Ham, and they have looked toothless in the attack. Kudus could make a big difference for them and help open up the Southampton defence.

Prediction

West Ham United 2-1 Southampton

Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side are in particularly good form and they will have to work hard in order to get all three points. West Ham have a better set of attackers at their disposal, and they will look to take advantage of Southampton’s defensive vulnerability. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, but West Ham have more depth in the attacking unit, and they are likely to pick up a narrow victory at home.