Julen Lopetegui's chair continues to shake despite West Ham's recent positive streak. The Spanish specialist hopes to end the year on a high, starting with a win over Southampton.
Less than half a season has passed and the Saints are already one leg into the Championship. Their performance is not even worthy of a place in the playoffs of the lower tier, let alone the Premier League.
Southampton have won once in 17 rounds to date. Several other teams are struggling and fighting for their place but the Saints are at least a level beneath them. With 11 goals scored and 36 conceded, they have the worst goal difference in the league and enter this contest after eight games in a row without a win.
Ever since the Hammers faced Wolves, they've shown signs of life, although they still struggle to convert most of their chances. But a three-game unbeaten streak is an improvement and they will be hopeful for a rare win over the struggling Saints.
West Ham always create a huge number of big chances, so this is the perfect opponent to score goals against. The Hammers have a capable squad that simply needs more confidence.
How the bookies view it: Not that far apart
Given Southampton's performance this season, the odds are surprisingly close. West Ham have the advantage but they are, perhaps, overpriced. You can back Southampton at 9/4 or West Ham at 6/5. If you fancy the draw, it is available at 5/2.
Recent head to head: Tight rivalry
Southampton and West Ham often produced tight matches in the past but the Hammers have the H2H advantage. They won five out of the last 10 meetings, while the Saints claimed two victories.
Players to watch: Skip this match if you're looking for scorers
West Ham don't have a distinguished leader and there have been too many different goalscorers to pick one with confidence. A total of 10 players have found the net at least once this season in the PL and neither has scored more than four goals.
It is even worse when we look at Southampton, as they are the lowest-scoring side with just 11 goals in 17 rounds. Their highest scorers have two goals each.
Probable line-ups
Southampton: Ramsdale, Hardwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood, Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu, Sugawara, Dibling, Fernandes, Archer
West Ham: Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Soucek, Alvarez, Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Fullkrug
Anything else catch the eye?
It is curious how Southampton had their worst performances at home this season. They never win on the road either but at least concede fewer goals. The Saints conceded 2+ goals in their last four games as hosts and this could be the best option for this match.
We definitely back West Ham to win this match and it feels like a potential action-packed matchup. The Hammers kept a clean sheet only twice away this season, so even the BTTS has potential here. Let's hope West Ham succeed in scoring their chances this time as they will not have a better chance to win three points away this season.
This English Premier League match between Southampton and West Ham will be played on Dec 26, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs West Ham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.