Matchday 18 of the Premier League between Southampton and West Ham will take place on December 26 at St Mary's Stadium. Southampton vs. West Ham: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Lewis Smith (England)
Matches – 13 (Premier League and Championship, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 42;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 31%.
Predicted lineups for Southampton vs. West Ham
Southampton (3-4-2-1): Aaron Ramsdale – Jan Bednarek, Nathan Wood, Taylor Harwood-Bellis – Kyle Walker-Peters, Yukinari Sugawara, Flynn Downes, Joe Aribo – Mateusz Fernandes, Tyler Dibling – Adam Armstrong.
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Lukasz Fabianski – Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Emerson Palmieri – Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez – Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen – Niclas Füllkrug.
Each team’s starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Southampton
The club has performed reasonably well in their last two matches under interim head coach Simon Rusk. They narrowly lost 1-2 to Liverpool in the English League Cup and drew 0-0 away at Fulham in the league. Ivan Juric has now officially taken charge, tasked with ending a seven-match winless streak in the Premier League (2 draws and 5 losses). Southampton remains at the bottom of the Premier League table, having won just once this season, trailing the safety zone by 8 points.
Defender Juan Larios, midfielder Will Smallbone, and forward Ross Stewart are sidelined due to injuries.
- The club has secured only one victory in their last 30 Premier League matches (7 draws and 22 losses).
- In 15 of their last 17 league games, Southampton has not scored more than one goal.
- The team has lost 10 of their last 13 home Premier League matches in the second half (1 win and 2 draws).
West Ham
The Londoners are unbeaten in three consecutive league matches for the first time this season. Following a home victory over Wolverhampton (2-1), the team drew with Bournemouth and Brighton (both 1-1). They currently sit in 14th place, comfortably ahead of the relegation zone by 8 points. The club has conceded 30 goals this Premier League season, with only the bottom four teams having a worse defensive record.
Midfielder Lucas Paqueta will miss the game due to suspension, and forward Michail Antonio is out for the season with a leg fracture.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 7 of West Ham’s last 9 league games.
- Both teams have scored in the Londoners' last five Premier League matches.
- The club has won only once in the first half of their last 12 away Premier League fixtures (3 draws and 8 losses).
Southampton vs. West Ham: Match Prediction
The hosts have only 6 points after 17 rounds. Since the Premier League's inception, Southampton has never accrued so few points at this stage. Even with a new head coach, it is unlikely the team will suddenly improve and start winning, as the squad does not meet the Premier League's standards. I believe the team will drop points again, especially since they have not been formidable at home, with just two wins in their last 24 Premier League matches (5 draws and 17 losses).
West Ham has also been unimpressive this season, so they might not defeat the bottom-placed team. However, the visitors have a strong head-to-head record in the league. In their last 11 encounters, the Londoners have won 7, drawn 3, and lost just once to Southampton. At St Mary's, the hosts have not beaten West Ham in their last five Premier League meetings (3 draws and 2 losses).
My prediction – West Ham with handicap (0)
