Saturday 4 February 2017 14:03, UK
West Ham United will be aiming to pick up their first ever win league win at St Mary’s when they travel to face Southampton on Saturday.
The Hammers are winless in their last seven away league games against Saints (D4 L3), last winning in Southampton in November 2000 under Harry Redknapp.
Slaven Bilic's men will fancy their chances of ending the barren run on the south-coast as the hosts have lost five of their last six Premier League games, including four straight defeats.
West Ham were showing that life without Dimitri Payet, who joined Marseille after a messy fallout, was looking rosy after winning back-to-back Premier League games before losing 4-0 to Man City on Wednesday night.
Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out for up to three months with an ankle injury.
Jay Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse are back in training after spells out and could be added to the squad.
New striker Manolo Gabbiadini will also be involved, although manager Claude Puel has yet to decide whether to hand him a place in the starting line-up.
Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is back in the West Ham squad, having returned from the African Cup of Nations.
Right-back Sam Byram felt his hamstring after the midweek 4-0 defeat by Manchester City and will be assessed.
Robert Snodgrass could make his full debut after coming on as a substitute against City.
Southampton have won their last two matches against the Hammers; they last won a third consecutive match against them in April 1998.
Southampton have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home games against West Ham (W3 D4 L0).
Fraser Forster hasn't conceded a Premier League goal against West Ham in 333 minutes of action, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.
The Saints have lost two home Premier League games from leading positions this season - no side has lost more (level with Bournemouth).
Only Sunderland (0) have kept fewer away Premier League clean sheets than West Ham (1) this season.
The Hammers have conceded 40 Premier League goals this season after 23 games - it took them 32 games to concede this many in 2015-16.
Andy Carroll has had a hand in six goals in his last nine away Premier League games (five goals, one assist) after a run of 10 games without scoring or assisting away from home.
West Ham have conceded a league-high 82.5% of their goals from open play this season (33/40).
Van Dijk has the best aerial duel success rate of any defender to have been involved in 100+ aerial duels (75%).
Only Sam Vokes (19.2 per game) has been involved in more aerial duels per 90 minutes on average than Carroll (18.5) this season in the Premier League.
It's difficult to know what you are going to get from these sides. Southampton beat Liverpool over two legs to reach the EFL Cup final but were then thrashed by Arsenal in the FA Cup. To be honest, I thought what Puel did by putting out a lot of youngsters against the Gunners was not good. They then lost to Swansea in midweek and it's really difficult to know which Southampton team will turn up.
It's the same with West Ham. They put back-to-back wins together against Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough but are then thumped by Manchester City - but Pep Guardiola's side always seem to save their best football for the Hammers. I think home advantage will play a part here so that's why I'm going with a slender Southampton win.
PAUL PREDICT: 2-1 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
Southampton are odds-on favourites (8/11) to get back on track with a victory over West Ham, who are 18/5 to upset the St Mary's faithful, with the draw priced at 13/5.
Saints are 5/2 to win by exactly one goal and 7/4 without conceding, while punters can also get 5/2 for Southampton to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1.
Shane Long is the 4/1 favourite to score first, with Andy Carroll considered most likely for the Hammers at 15/2.
There's £250,000 up for grabs again this weekend for simply predicting the six correct scores in the Premier League 3pm kick-offs. Enter your selections here.
