MX23RW : Monday, December 23 12:09:53| >> :120:47302:47302:

Match Analysis: Southampton 0-0 West Ham United

Sports Mole takes a closer look at West Ham United's goalless draw at Southampton in the Premier League.

Southampton and West Ham United shared the spoils at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday as they played out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League.

Both sides struggled in front of goal, but it was the hosts who came closest to scoring in the second half when Rickie Lambert's header hit the post.

The stalemate has seen West Ham climb up to 10th place in the table, while Southampton rise to 11th.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams.

Match statistics:

Southampton:
Shots 15
On target 5
Possession 58%
Corners 10
Fouls 12

West Ham:
Shots 6
On target 1
Possession 42%
Corners 5
Fouls 12

Was the result fair?

It certainly was. All in all it was a poor, uninspiring afternoon of football between the two sides. Neither Southampton nor West Ham did enough to warrant the victory, but it will be the visitors who will be more pleased with their point than the hosts.

Southampton's performance

The Saints occasionally looked threatening in the final third, although an absence of quality in their passing often saw any attacks fizzle out. It was not for a lack of effort - the Saints worked hard to grind down West Ham - but this kind of display makes you think that it could be a tricky second season down on the South Coast.

West Ham's performance

Manager Sam Allardyce has gained a reputation down the years for unattractive, stodgy football and this was no different. They made it difficult for Southampton to get through them in the first half and continued to toil away doggedly after the break. One area of worry for the Hammers will be up front as Modibo Maiga never looked likely to score. The sooner Andy Carroll is back, the better.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Jussi Jaaskelainen: The veteran Finnish goalkeeper pulled off a string of fine saves to keep West Ham in the match. He may be 38 years old, but he is still capable of putting in superb performances between the sticks.

Biggest gaffe

Referee Andre Marriner got it badly wrong when he failed to send off Morgan Schneiderlin for his reckless tackle on Mohamed Diame in the first half. It was a nasty challenge from the Southampton midfielder, who did not even get a yellow card.

Referee performance

There were worse displays from referees over the weekend (ahem, Martin Atkinson), but Andre Marriner often looked like he was not in control of the match as he made some inconsistent decisions. The Schneiderlin incident aside, Marriner struggled to keep a lid on what was an occasionally feisty affair.

What next?

Southampton: Mauricio Pochettino's side return to league action on Saturday when they travel to Liverpool.

West Ham: The Hammers continue their league campaign at home to Everton on Saturday.

ID:105056: cacheID:105056:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4423:
Written by
Jack Prescott
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
West Ham's Mark Noble and Southampton's Adam Lallana battle for the ball during their Premier League match on September 15, 2013
Read Next:
Saints, Hammers play out stalemate
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!