Declan Rice denied Ralph Hasenhuttl a much-needed win as West Ham snatched a 1-1 draw at Southampton on Sunday (16 October).
Saints boss Hasenhuttl has come under increasing pressure after a run of four straight defeats and 15 losses in their last 21 matches. The Austrian saw his side arrest that particular slide here thanks to a first Premier League goal from Romain Perraud, but Southampton were clinging on at the end after England midfielder Rice hauled the Hammers level. But the hosts took the lead in the 20th minute when Tomas Soucek sliced an attempted clearance from a throw-in.
West Ham were annoyed that referee Peter Bankes got in the way of Jarrod Bowen as he tried to intercept the ball before Perraud, who drove forward before hitting a low drive which deflected in off Ben Johnson. The equaliser was coming after the break, however, and it arrived in the 64th minute courtesy of the Hammers skipper. Rice played a one-two with substitute Said Benrahma before bending a superb effort past Bazunu from the corner of the box.
Hasenhuttl, clearly needing to stem the tide of West Ham attacks, sent on four substitutes – Stuart Armstrong, Sekou Mara, Samuel Edozie and Ibrahima Diallo. The changes almost paid off, but Diallo’s long-range shot flew narrowly over and Fabianski saved from Edozie. Whether a draw is enough to save the manager remains to be seen. Follow all the fallout from today's game in the live blog below:
