1. Declan Rice should make his 100th West Ham United appearance!
Should he feature, Declan Rice, aged 21 years and 47 days, will become the 14th-youngest player to make 100 first-team appearances for West Ham United.
The youngest was Tony Cottee, who was aged 19 years 291 days when he appeared in the 0-0 Division One draw with Luton Town on 27 April 1985.
If you were wondering, Paul Allen, Mervyn Day, John Sissons, Joe Cole, Jackie Morton, Jim Barrett Sr, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard Jr, Bobby Moore, Tommy Taylor, Jermain Defoe and Martin Peters were the others!
2. Southampton are VERY familiar opponents
If you count all matches, including Southern League, war-time and Texaco Cup meetings, the Hammers have faced Southampton more times than any other opponent, bar Tottenham Hotspur (208) and Arsenal (180).
Since the Saints defeated Thames Ironworks 3-1 in a Southern League fixture at the Memorial Grounds in December 1899, the two clubs have met on 156 occasions in all competitions.
Overall, West Ham United have won 69, Southampton have won 46 and 41 matches have ended in draws.
3. The Hammers are seeking a double 'double' over the Saints
Continuing along the same theme, West Ham United have enjoyed more Premier League victories over Southampton than any other opponent.
The Hammers have defeated the Saints 17 times in the 35 meetings between the two clubs dating back to a 2-0 victory at The Dell in November 1993. Southampton have won eleven and there have been seven draws.
Unsurprisingly, given that record, the Irons have also scored more goals against Southampton (52) than against any other Premier League opponent bar Tottenham (55), albeit they have faced the Saints on 12 fewer occasions than Spurs.
The Hammers have won the last two London Stadium meetings between the two clubs in the Premier League by identical 3-0 scorelines, while the reverse fixture at St Mary's Stadium ended in a 1-0 win for the Irons courtesy of Sebastien Haller's goal.
Should West Ham win on Saturday, the hosts would complete a second straight league 'double' over the Saints, and a third in total.
4 Mark Noble loves facing Southampton!
Mark Noble has enjoyed victories over no fewer than 56 different opponents during his long and illustrious West Ham United career.
The captain has enjoyed more victories over Southampton (nine) than any other opponent, bar Sunderland (also nine), in 16 appearances against the Hampshire club overall dating back to a 2-1 Championship win while on loan at Ipswich Town in September 2006, when he was just 19.
Now 32, Noble has also netted more goals against the Saints (five) than any other opponent, bar Watford, in addition to three assists.
5 Michail Antonio will go for a fifth straight win over his old club
Speaking of 19-year-olds and Southampton, Michail Antonio was still a teenager when he first made his mark for the Saints on loan from Sheffield Wednesday for the 2009/10 season.
Antonio also scored on his 20th birthday in an EFL Trophy final victory over Carlisle United at Wembley and netted seven goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.
On joining West Ham United in 2015, Antonio waited for his chance and then took it against his former club, scoring his first goal in a 2-1 Premier League win over the Saints at the Boleyn Ground that December.
Overall, the 29-year-old has played in six West Ham victories over Southampton in the nine matches he has played against Southampton, and been on the winning side the last four times he faced the club he fired to Wembley glory a decade ago.
