Southampton 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, St Mary's Stadium, Sunday 16 October 2022
West Ham United came from behind to draw 1-1 at Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.
Declan Rice struck his first goal of the season to cancel out a Romain Perraud opener at St Mary’s Stadium.
The Irons pushed for a winner in Hampshire and saw Gianluca Scamacca denied by Saints’ goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu late on.
Ultimately, West Ham could not find a winner, although a hard-fought point means the Irons are now five games unbeaten across all competitions.
A lively first-half brought chances at both ends but it was ultimately the Saints who led at the break.
In the opening moments, Emerson Palmieri sent an early effort just past the post after good work from Scamacca, while Che Adams later tested Łukasz Fabiański from the edge of the area.
The former Poland goalkeeper then made a superb stop to deny Adams from close range after the Southampton No10 had broken past the Hammers’ defence. Scamacca then sent an audacious effort narrowly wide from a long distance in response.
Yet, even with the Irons’ early pressure in Hampshire, it was Perraud, who put the hosts ahead with 20 minutes played. Despite the Hammers' protests about where Kyle Walker-Peter’s’ throw-in was taken from and referee Peter Bankes appearing to accidentally impede Jarrod Bowen as he tried to get to the ball, Perraud was able to gather the ball on the edge of the area and strike at goal. The Saints No15 then found the bottom corner from more than 20 yards via a deflection.
As West Ham pushed for an equaliser in response, Lucas Paquetá fired a left-footed strike over the bar. David Moyes’ men again came close to a first-half equaliser when Scamacca darted in behind the Saints’ defence. He controlled the ball and picked out Lucas Paquetá with a delightful chip to the back post, but the Hammers No11 could only head wide.
The Irons would have found themselves 2-0 down but for an inspired double-save from Fabiański. The Hammers No1 dived low to his left to deter Adams, before bouncing back to his feet to stop an effort on the rebound from close range. Impressive throughout on the south coast, he later stopped a Mohamed Elyounoussi drive from distance.
After the break, Lucas Paquetá saw his shot blocked, while Scamacca flicked a Bowen cross over the bar. The Brazil midfielder later stung the palms of Southampton stopper Gavin Bazunu with a fierce strike.
But the Hammers’ pressure told just after the hour when Declan Rice combined with substitute Saïd Benrahma and curled a delightful equaliser into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. The skipper’s first goal since our UEFA Europa League quarter-final second-leg triumph over Lyon last April was well worth the wait.
As the Irons pressed for a winner on the south coast, Moyes’ saw Bankes turn down a hatful of penalty appeals from the Hammers.
And while the chances continued to come for the east Londoners, with a left-footed drive from Scamacca pushed away by Bazunu, the Hammers would ultimately have to be content with a point from their trip to the south coast. Moyes’ men are now unbeaten across their last three Premier League fixtures.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Johnson, Kehrer, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Bowen, Paqueta (Lanzini 88), Emerson (Benrahma 59), Scamacca (Antonio 88)
Subs not used: Areola (GK), Randolph (GK), Fornals, Downes, Ogbonna, Coventry
Goal: Rice 64
Booking: Coufal
Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap (Caleta-Car 42), Salisu, Perraud, Maitland-Niles (Diallo 74), Aribo (Edozie 74), Ward-Prowse ©, Elyounoussi, A.Armstrong (S.Armstrong 74), Adams (Mara 74)
Subs not used: McCarthy (GK), Lyanco, Djenepo, Larios
Goal: Perraud 20
Booking: Walker-Peters
Attendance: 29,159
Referee: Peter Bankes
