West Ham vs Southampton match report: Saints add to Hammers misery as Charlie Austin sparks London Stadium rout

West Ham 0 Southampton 3: Austin opened the scoring before half-time with Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse completing a win that condemns West Ham to a fourth straight league defeat

Slaven Bilic reacts as West Ham suffer a 3-0 home defeat by Southampton (Reuters)

Like a lottery-winner rattling around their new mansion, West Ham - fans and players alike - still look mightily uncomfortable here at the London Stadium, bemused by their new surroundings. The muck and nettles of Green Street exchanged for the homogenised pubs, shopping mall and sleek walkways that lead to the ground are one thing but the intimidating atmosphere that Upton Park could generate, and this ground as yet cannot, is something else.

Southampton were the team who looked at home winning 3-0 courtesy of goals from Charlie Austin, his fifth in his last four games, Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse. It was the Saints’ fourth win on the trot in all competitions and moves them up to ninth. West Ham remain in the relegation zone with one league win from three here.

The Boleyn Ground may have been too cramped and too creaky but it was home. It will take more than a handful of games to recreate that bond - but mostly it needs an improved performance on the pitch. The Hammers were dire - they have conceded 14 in their last four league games - and Southampton could have won by more.

It took two minutes for the first rendition of ‘Stand up if you love West Ham’ to break out which has caused such trouble between fans and stewards at the previous fixtures here. Large chunks of supporters refused to sit, leaving the stewards, employed by stadium not club, with a dilemma, especially with the entire travelling support steadfastly remaining on their feet. They largely opted to let the fans be but it creates an edgy atmosphere.

Charlie Austin puts Southampton ahead against West Ham (Reuters)

There was no sitting down by Slaven Bilic, who prowled the touchline (from where he needed a black cab back to the dugout such is the gap from pitch to stand) urging West Ham on but they struggled to make an early impression in the game.

It was Southampton who created the first opportunity in the fifth minute when Ryan Bertrand escaped down the left and pulled his cross back to the edge of the box but the Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg took an eternity to shoot allowing West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna to block. It was a warning for the Hammers they did not heed.

The home captain Mark Noble, who had urged the club’s different factions to pull together before kick-off, did as much as anyone to give the home fans something to cheer in the first half with spells of endeavour, always demanding the ball, but it amounted to little other than showing he cared.

Charlie Austin peels away to celebrate as West Ham players look disconsolate (Getty)

The home team were hardly giving their supporters reason to remain on their feet. Lying prostrate would have been a more fitting position.

Southampton were no laugh a minute either: their football had been patient - with one pass forward, one back, the extent of their adventurousness when, five minutes before the break, they suddenly unpicked West Ham down the left as they had early on.

Steven Davis found Tadic drifting off the touchline and he released Bertrand in behind right-back Havard Nordtveit. Bertrand looked up and again cut the ball back - but this time to Austin who had lost Ogbonna and swept the ball into the far corner with his left foot.

They could have added another before the break but Cedric drove into the side netting when a thumped cross could have caused havoc in the Hammers’ box.

Southampton player Ryan Bertrand and Oriol Romeu celebrate with James Ward-Prowse (Reuters)

The second half started no more brightly for West Ham when Southampton, now starting to tick nicely, cut them apart again - this time down the right. A lovely back-heel from Tadic freed Cedric, his pull-back teed up the Serb who had continued his run but Adrian saved with one hand. Alvaro Arbeloa, making his league debut for the Hammers at left-back, untwisted his limbs.

Southampton doubled their lead on 63 minutes, West Ham’s ineptitude contributing significantly. First Winston Reid lost the ball just outside his own area then it span to Cheikhou Kouyate who was robbed by Reid. Nathan Redmond pinged it to Austin who flicked into the path of Tadic who was through. He put Adrian on his backside with a feint and rolled the ball home.

Adrian reacts to conceding a third goal against Southampton (Reuters)

Either side of the Saints’ second goal, West Ham appealed for two penalties, one without reason, one with. Zaza’s blatant dive was an embarrassment and then a Sofiane Feghouli drive hit Bertrand’s hand, but a spot-kick would have been harsh. Zaza then saw a toe poke hacked off the line.

But it was Southampton who deservedly had the last say in stoppage time when Ward-Prowse rolled the ball home after Davis had run on to Redmond’s pass and pulled the ball in to the area.

The Hammers fans left home as one.

Teams

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Adrian; Nordtveit (Fletcher 70), Reid, Ogbonna, Arbeloa; Noble (Fernandes), Kouyaté; Antonio, Lanzini (Feghouli 45), Payet; Zaza. Substitutes not used: Randolph, Obiang, Byram, Oxford.

Southampton (4-4-2): Forster; Cedric (Martina 88), Fonte, van Dijk, Bertrand; Højbjerg, Romeu, Davis, Tadic (Ward-Prowse 80); Redmond, Austin (Long 74). Substitutes not used: Yoshida, Clasie, Long, McCarthy, Hesketh.

Att: 56,864

Man of the match: Tadic

Referee: Jon Moss