West Ham United 1-1 Southampton
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 19 April 2025, 3pm BST
West Ham United were denied a welcome Premier League victory as Southampton snatched a 1-1 draw in the dying moments at London Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers looked to be on course to end a five-match winless run when Jarrod Bowen fired the home side in front two minutes into the second half.
But, with the Irons unable to control the game in the closing stages, the Saints kept plugging away until the end and were rewarded when Lesley Ugochukwu lashed home in the third minute of added-time.
In truth, Southampton were good value for their point against a home side who struggled to impose themselves on their already-relegated opponents.
Aside from Niclas Füllkrug’s early first-time effort from Lucas Paquetá’s low cross, which Aaron Ramsdale kept out at the base of his near post, the Hammers struggled to break down a compact Southampton side set up in a narrow 5-4-1 formation.
The Irons fashioned a second half-chance on 12 minutes, but Füllkrug could not connect with Emerson’s centre and Ryan Manning held off Bowen, enabling Ramsdale to collect.
From then on, Southampton grew in stature and confidence, with left winger Kamaldeen Sulemana providing a constant threat.
First, the Ghana international saw his shot deflected wide by Vladimír Coufal’s calf, then he saw a shot saved by Alphonse Areola, albeit the offside flag was belatedly raised against the Saints’ No20.
West Ham rallied briefly, as James Ward-Prowse forced Ramsdale into a routine catch, before the visitors again threatened.
Former Hammer Flynn Downes sliced wide, then Kyle Walker-Peters shot narrowly past the far upright after good build-up play involving Paul Onuachu, Sulemana and Mateus Fernandes.
Sulemana then went even closer, hitting the crossbar after the ball fell to him off Paquetá’s knee, and Southampton’s frustration would only have grown as Manning saw his free-kick held by Areola and an inswinging corner headed wide by the towering Onuachu.
Within two minutes of the restart, the missed opportunities proved costly as a quick counter involving Carlos Soler, Kudus and Füllkrug ended with Bowen cutting inside Manning and firing past Ramsdale and inside the far post with his ever-reliable left foot.
The balance of the game changed, with Kudus, Paquetá and Bowen seeing shots blocked and Soler driving over, while Sulemana reminded West Ham of his threat in between by testing Areola low to his left, then the Frenchman made a better save to push Jack Stephens’ rasping shot aside low to his right.
For Southampton supporters who had celebrated just 23 Premier League goals in 32 matches, win just twice and seen their team bottom of the table for 170 of a possible 246 days this season, it was a familiar sight.
And it could have got worse when Füllkrug played in Luis Guilherme, but the substitute was denied at the near post by Ramsdale.
Another young substitute, 19-year-old Tyler Dibling, then had a clear chance to equalise with eight minutes to play, but blazed over from 12 yards.
With West Ham sitting deep on their one-goal lead, Southampton sensed a chance to grab a point, and they did just that through Ugochukwu.
Walker-Peters’ cross hit Kilman and looped to the French midfielder, who lashed a fierce volley past compatriot Areola to send the long-suffering Southampton fans wild.
West Ham’s wait for a Premier League win goes on.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson (Scarles 79), Ward-Prowse (Mavropanos 86), Soler, Paquetá, Bowen © (Ferguson 86), Kudus (Luis Guilherme 75), Füllkrug (Souček 80)
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Rodríguez, Irving
Goal: Bowen 47
Booked: Coufal, Kilman
Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Stephens ©, Harwood-Bellis (Stewart 85), Bednarek, Manning (Welington 85), Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Sulemana (Dibling 74), Onuachu (Archer 68)
Subs not used: McCarthy (GK), Bree, Wood, Smallbone, Aribo
Goal: Ugochukwu 90+3
Booked: Onuachu
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Attendance: 62,461
