West Ham storm back to overcome Southampton

Grady Diangana tries to escape the attention of Matt Targett (Getty)

A superb brace by Felipe Anderson gave West Ham United a 2-1 comeback win at Southampton in a pulsating Premier League match on Thursday.

The result lifted West Ham to ninth in the table on 27 points from 19 games while Southampton stayed 16th on 15 points, three above the relegation zone after suffering their first home defeat in five matches.

The game sprung to life when Southampton forward Nathan Redmond bundled the ball home with his shoulder in the 50th minute after visiting keeper Lukazs Fabianski parried his initial shot and Oriol Romeu's rebound.

In the absence of first-choice strikers Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, West Ham lacked cutting edge until Brazilian midfielder Anderson turned the match on its head.

Anderson equalised in the 53rd minute with a stinging first-time shot from 20 metres and completed West Ham's comeback in the 57th when he buried the ball into the top right corner from 13 metres to cap a lightning break by the visitors.

Fabianski had kept out a long-range effort by forward Stuart Armstrong at the other end and marshalled his defence superbly in the closing stages as the Saints threw men forward in search of an equaliser.

Reuters

PREVIEW

What time does it start?

Southampton vs West Ham kicks off at 7:45pm (GMT)

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7:30pm.

Player to watch…

Marko Arnautovic: Pellegrini hinted prior to Thursday's game that star striker Arnautovic could be in line for a return having missed the Hammers last three matches with injury. The Austrian has scored five goals in 13 matches this season, as well as contributing two assists.

Arnautovic has missed the Hammers’ last three matches with injury (Getty)

Form guide…

Southampton: LDLLWW

West Ham: LWWWWL

Odds…

Southampton to win: 6/5

West Ham to win: 12/5

Draw: 5/2

(Odds provided by 888 Sport)

Key Points

• Southampton XI: McCarthy; Valery, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Yoshida, Targett; Lemina, Romeu; Armstrong, Redmond; Ings.
• West Ham XI: Fabianski; Antonio, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Obiang; Snodgrass, Diangana, Felipe Anderson; Lucas Perez.

[27 December 2018 21:16 · Jack Sear]

75 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Fabianksi makes a great save to deny Lemina inside the penalty area but the offside flag is up.

[27 December 2018 21:17 · Jack Sear]

77 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Southampton have a corner after Targett's cross is deflected out but it's headed away by Cresswell.

[27 December 2018 21:18 · Jack Sear]

78 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Lucas Perez makes way for Mark Noble. This should see West Ham switch to more of a 4-5-1 formation as they look to see this game out.

[27 December 2018 21:22 · Jack Sear]

80 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Charlie Austin is on for Southampton and it's Maya Yoshida who makes way. The Saints have now switched to a back four, with Austin, Shane Long, Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond all in attack.

[27 December 2018 21:23 · Jack Sear]

82 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Jan Bednarek becomes the second Southampton player to go into the box after bringing down Andy Carroll.

[27 December 2018 21:24 · Jack Sear]

84 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

The away side are looking to try and take the sting out of this match by keeping possession. Southampton have given the ball away far too often tonight.

[27 December 2018 21:25 · Jack Sear]

The man of the moment

Felipe Anderson is becoming a real West Ham fan favourite.

[27 December 2018 21:26 · Jack Sear]

85 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Michail Antonio surges forward, evading a number of Southampton challenges along the way, before firing well wide with his weaker left foot.

[27 December 2018 21:28 · Jack Sear]

87 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Southampton make their third and final change as Mario Lemina makes way for Mohamed Elyounoussi.

[27 December 2018 21:29 · Jack Sear]

88 mins: Southampton 1-2 West Ham

Anderson nearly gets his hat-trick. He shrugs off Valery outside the area before surging towards goal and forcing a save out of McCarthy from close range.