The difference was that West Ham just looked a little bit cannier than Southampton in the areas that mattered. It was a dreadful game, high on tension and low on quality, but it was not a surprise that the points belonged to the more robust side.
Southampton, who had more of the ball and a few decent chances, had fallen short. West Ham, who needed the VAR to confirm that Nayef Aguerd’s winning goal was onside, had not impressed. But they had done enough.
That has tended to be West Ham’s way whenever David Moyes’s back has been against the wall this season. They have knuckled down during testing periods, leaning on their durability, boosting the impression that they have enough nerve to survive this tightest of relegation battles.
This win, though hardly convincing, was another step in the right direction. It ended with Lukasz Fabianski clutching a precious clean sheet and, while nobody would claim that West Ham were convincing in possession, there was enough to suggest that Moyes has the knowhow to keep them up.
Not that it is a sure thing. West Ham, who are out of the bottom three and up to 14th place, did not exactly flow against the worst side in the division. Indeed, there were times when the crowd got on West Ham’s back, particularly during a tepid opening period, and Moyes must know that his side will be in for a sterner examination when Newcastle visit the London Stadium on Wednesday night. “Today was all about the result,” the Scot said. “But the players dealt with the pressure.”
Crucial to West Ham clambering over the line was Aguerd’s growing understanding with Kurt Zouma in central defence. Moyes needs them to stay fit. They have both suffered from long injuries this season and it is not a surprise that West Ham looked more secure with Aguerd and Zouma keeping Southampton at arm’s length.
Admittedly the mood would have been more downbeat if Paul Onuachu’s late header had crept underneath Fabianski’s crossbar. That miss aside, though, this was a performance that underlined why Southampton are likely to be in the Championship next season. Rubén Sellés’s side lack oomph at both ends and, while they looked pretty between the two boxes, the most punishing statistic is that Aguerd’s goal was their 13th concession from a set piece this season. “Until that situation nothing happened for them,” Sellés said. “We had total control.”
Sellés was right up to a point. Southampton began with good intentions, Roméo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse tidy in midfield, but it all felt too nice. There was not enough aggression in attack without Che Adams and there was never any hint that Sékou Mara and Theo Walcott were going to hurt West Ham.
It let West Ham off the hook. The hosts were tentative at first and offered little as an attacking force. Danny Ings was isolated against his old side. Lucas Paquetá, playing in the No 10 role, would earn praise for making 10 tackles rather than for anything he did in an offensive sense.
But the impression that Moyes’s tactics are choking this side’s creativity faded when West Ham went ahead with a simple goal in the 25th minute. Only a lengthy VAR check made it more complicated. The decision eventually went in West Ham’s favour and Southampton could only look at themselves after falling asleep when Thilo Kehrer’s deep free-kick reached Aguerd, who was wrongly flagged offside after guiding a lovely header beyond Gavin Bazunu.
West Ham played with more freedom after going ahead, threatening to extend their lead when Saïd Benrahma whipped a shot over and Jarrod Bowen curled against the bar. Southampton, weakened by the absence of Armel Bella-Kotchap and Mohammed Salisu, had to tighten up. However, they could have been level at the break. A slick move opened West Ham up on the left and a goal looked certain when Romain Perraud aimed for the far corner. Fabianski, back in goal after recovering from a nasty facial injury, brilliantly denied the Southampton left-back.
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Southampton reasserted themselves after half-time and improved after a host of changes from Sellés. Kamaldeen Sulemana, on for the ineffective Mohamed Elyounoussi, shot wide. Lavia and Carlos Alcaraz tested Fabianski.
The game was in the balance. West Ham sat back, leaning on Declan Rice’s interceptions, and tried to kill Southampton off on the break. Bowen was the main threat. Southampton struggled to cope with the winger’s pace and had lost much of their momentum by the time Sellés brought on Onuachu for Walcott.
The arrival of the 6ft 7in striker gave West Ham a different problem. Southampton had a target to hit and they almost equalised when Ward-Prowse produced a delivery for Onuachu in the 85th minute, only for the Nigerian’s header to hit the bar. The ball had fallen for West Ham.
