Southampton 3-1 West Ham United
Emirates FA Cup fifth round, St Mary's Stadium, Wednesday 2 March 2022
West Ham United’s Emirates FA Cup hopes were dashed as Southampton emerged 3-1 fifth-round winners at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Michail Antonio scored his first goal since New Year’s Day against one of his former clubs, but it was not enough to prevent the Saints taking their place in the quarter-finals at the Hammers’ expense.
In truth, it was a hugely frustrating night for David Moyes’ side, who had the better of the first half, fell behind, lost Tomáš Souček to a facial injury, got level, then lost to a penalty awarded following a VAR review by referee Andre Marriner and a late goal from substitute Armando Broja.
And so the Irons’ search for a first major domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1980 goes on.
Before kick-off, the pre-match light show and both sets of supporters joined in solidarity for the people of Ukraine.
When the game began, West Ham started the brighter but, as manager Moyes has pointed out at times this season, his players just could not consistently find the right pass or finish on the numerous occasions on which they entered the Southampton penalty area.
The opening 20-odd minutes, if not quite belonging to the Hammers, were controlled by the visitors, who again lined up in the 3-4-1-2 formation which served us so well in beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday.
Virtually all the early chances were ours. Jack Stephens denied Jarrod Bowen; Souček poked wide; Bowen’s shot was blocked by Yan Valery,; his header from Antonio’s left-wing cross flew too high; the No9’s own shot was blocked; and, finally, Manuel Lanzini failed to convert from six yards out.
At the other end, the Saints hardly threatened, Adam Armstrong seeing one shot blocked by Craig Dawson and firing a second over the top.
Then, just past the half-hour mark, Southampton took the lead with a bolt from the blue as French left-back Romain Perraud collected the ball 30 yards out, took a touch and unleashed an unstoppable shot which flew beyond his fellow countryman Alphonse Areola.
West Ham sought an immediate response, but it was not rewarded, as Ben Johnson fired into the side netting and Antonio saw another effort charged down following a trademark 50-yard burst from captain Declan Rice.
Into the second half and the Hammers lost Souček to a nasty-looking facial cut after the Czech was caught by the flailing arm of Ibrahima Diallo, who escaped any punishment.
Chances-wise, Southampton went close first, with James Ward-Prowse curling narrowly wide.
West Ham then went on the offensive, with Bowen seeing a goalbound shot blocked and Kurt Zouma heading over from the resulting corner.
The equaliser duly arrived on the hour-mark as Bowen forced a corner, Caballero punched the ball into Diop and Antonio swept into the net from inside the six-yard box to score his first goal since New Year’s Day.
Just when it looked as if the tide of the game was finally turning in the Hammers’ favour, though, half-time substitute Broja got in behind Dawson courtesy, in part, of a tug on the defender’s shirt. Dawson’s last-ditch challenge was deemed a foul by referee Andre Marriner following a visit to the pitch-side monitor.
Ward-Prowse stepped up and slammed his spot-kick down the middle to put the hosts back in front.
Moyes sent on Nikola Vlašić, having already introduced Saïd Benrahma as a replacement for Souček.
West Ham pushed, but could produce only one chance of note late on, Caballero doing well to push Dawson's powerful header from Bowen's corner-kick aside.
Seven minutes were added on, but it was Southampton who took advantage of them as Albania international Broja drove past three West Ham defenders and shot low into the far corner to definitively end West Ham's FA Cup hopes for another year.
Southampton: Caballero, Walker-Peters (Livramento 58), Valery, Stephens, Perraud, Diallo (Romeu 90), Smallbone (Redmond 81), Ward-Prowse ©, Djenepo (S.Armstrong 46), A.Armstrong, Long (Broja 46)
Subs not used: Lewis (GK), Bednarek, Walcott, Adams
Goals: Perraud 31, Ward-Prowse 69 (pen), Broja 90+5
Booked: Perraud, Diallo
West Ham United: Areola, Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Diop, Fornals (Vlašić 76), Rice ©, Souček (Benrahma 53), Lanzini, Bowen, Antonio
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Alese, Král, Ekwah, Chesters, Okoflex, Perkins
Goal: Antonio 60
Booked: Dawson
Referee: Andre Marriner
Attendance: 28,383