West Ham United v Southampton
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 19 April 2025, 3pm BST
West Ham United return to Premier League action at home to already-relegated bottom side Southampton on Saturday, looking to build on the positives displayed during last weekend's narrow defeat at title favourites Liverpool and secure a first win since late February.
The 2-1 reverse at Anfield, where a last-gasp Virgil van Dijk strike denied the Hammers a deserved share of the spoils, stretched the side's winless run to five games, and left us 17th in the standings with six games to go, albeit in touch with half-a-dozen clubs immediately above.
Following a commendable performance against AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium earlier this month, that earned a 2-2 draw, and then having gone toe-to-toe with Liverpool, Graham Potter will surely be confident of a good performance and result back on home soil this weekend.
Jarrod Bowen's 59th-minute strike proved the difference between West Ham and Southampton in the teams' reverse fixture on Boxing Day 2024, one of the Saints' 26 defeats during a campaign that has seen them register only ten points - one fewer than Derby County's Premier League record-low total of eleven.
With two managers - Russell Martin and Ivan Jurić - having been sacked on the south coast during 2024/25, interim boss Simon Rusk will be determined to steer his side to at least two more points in their six remaining games before they refresh and go again back in the EFL Championship.
Despite their overall disappointing season, Southampton have shown their quality when taking points off the likes of Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham, while earlier this month they were denied what would have been an impressive victory over Crystal Palace by Matheus França's stoppage-time equaliser.
All signs point to an enticing match-up, then, with both teams firmly focused on securing all three points to boost their season run-in.
Read on for everything you need to know ahead of the match...
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold-out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy.
Click HERE to check availability or relist.
Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Saturday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.
Travel…
There are no planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the Central and Jubilee lines, though there are set to be issues on the Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines, Elizabeth line services, Tram services, the Docklands Light Railway and the Lioness, Mildmay and Windrush lines on the London Overground. Supporters using these services are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Similarly, there are planned disruptions on Greater Anglia mainline services, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International, however c2c services should be running as normal.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
Saturday’s 3pm kick-off will NOT be broadcast live in the UK, but will be shown across the world by the Premier League’s international broadcast partners.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio London, and worldwide on our official website and app.
We Are West Ham. United...
At West Ham United, we are proud to be based in one of the most multicultural areas of the country where equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or beliefs, everyone is welcome at our Club.
Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
To report any concerns on matchday, text SUPPORT plus your message to 83121 or speak to the nearest steward, SLO or Police Officer. Text messages are treated in the strictest confidence, and, for our staff, it is better to monitor the situation as it is happening and to be able to take action at the time of it occurring.
Our Conduct Charter is created to further support the provision of a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all West Ham United supporters and staff at home and away matches, on social media, Club related meetings or events, or in any other forum.
Official Programme…
Both sides are set to contest home clashes on Saturday 19 April, with Graham Potter's men's team hosting Southampton in the Premier League at 3pm BST, three hours after Rehanne Skinner's women's team kick-off against Manchester United in the Barclays Women's Super League at 12noon.
To mark the occasion, the Club has merged the sides' Official Programmes and put together an historic, bumper 132-page issue, complete with a bespoke cover illustration and an additional eight-page pullout, featuring an eye-catching poster, a brainteasing quiz and plenty of games for our younger Hammers.
The largest publication in English football - possibly of all-time! - this weekend's Official Programme is still priced at just £4, representing superb value for money for supporters of all ages wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns and statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.
The Official Programme is the definitive Claret and Blue publication for West Ham fans.
Click HERE for more information, and HERE to purchase your copy!
DT38 Foundation...
Saturday marks Principal Charity Partner DT38’s annual Awareness Day at London Stadium as we pay tribute to Dylan Tombides, the West Ham United Academy of Football graduate and forward who lost a long and brave battle with testicular cancer on 18 April 2014, aged just 20.
In a career tragically cut short, Dylan was given his first-team debut under Sam Allardyce in 2012, having been tipped by then-Academy Director Tony Carr for a bright future in football at the highest level.
Dylan continues to be remembered with great warmth at West Ham United, with Mark Noble recently taking up the role of Patron for the charity, that was founded in Dylan’s memory by his mother, Tracylee, and the Tombides family in 2015.
At the heart of DT38’s work is the importance of men and boys learning to check themselves every month for any signs of abnormality.
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer among young men in the world and early detection is critical to increasing the chances of survival. If symptoms are discovered early enough, the disease is treatable.
Click HERE to find out more or to make a donation.
Team News…
Graham Potter will hold his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. However, we do know former Southampton loanee Michail Antonio will miss the game as he continues to recover from the injuries he suffered in a December car accident.
Southampton welcome former Hammer Flynn Downes back from suspension, while striker Paul Onuachu (ankle) is hoping to return. However, left-back Charlie Taylor and midfielder Albert Grønbæk are expected to miss the trip to east London.
Opposition…
Next season, Southampton will mark 50 years since their greatest success, when Lawrie McMenemy’s Saints shocked Manchester United to win the 1976 FA Cup final.
Half-a-century on, Saints supporters are not in the mood for celebration after arguably the worst season in the Hampshire club’s history.
The only similarity between McMenemy’s FA Cup winners and the Southampton side that will kick-off 2025/26 is that both were/are playing in the second tier of English football.
The Saints had been relegated under McMenemy in 1973/74, but stuck with their manager and were rewarded, first with that surprise FA Cup triumph, then promotion in 1977/78, a trip to the League Cup final in 1979, where they lost to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, and a record second-place finish in the First Division in 1983/84.
McMenemy spent nearly 12 years in charge at Southampton’s former home, The Dell, and is widely regarded as one of the best managers of the second half of the 20th century. His successes on the south coast were considered so impressive that he was given the Freedom of the City.
Forty years on from McMenemy’s departure and Southampton look further than ever from enjoying runs to domestic cup finals and challenging for league titles.
From 1985 until 2005, Southampton remained a top-flight club, but one which seemed to fight off relegation almost every season, despite the presence of such outstanding players as England international forwards Matt Le Tissier and Alan Shearer in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 2002/03, the Saints had their best season since McMenemy’s departure, finishing eighth in the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup final, which they lost narrowly to Arsenal, under Scottish manager Gordon Strachan.
Two years later, however, despite the late-season appointment of former West Ham United boss Harry Redknapp, Southampton were relegated - being replaced in the Premier League by the Play-Off winning Hammers.
In 2008/09, having gone through four more managers in four seasons, the Saints were relegated again to League One.
The next season brought some cheer under another former West Ham manager, Alan Pardew, as Michail Antonio was among the scorers in an EFL Trophy final win, and was followed by back-to-back promotions to the Premier League under Nigel Adkins.
Four consecutive top-eight finishes followed under Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Claude Puel. Southampton twice appeared in the UEFA Europa League and reached the 2017 EFL Cup final under Puel, losing to Manchester United.
The Saints had an exciting squad, featuring the likes of Sadio Mané, Dušan Tadić, Adam Lallana and a young James Ward-Prowse and prolific Danny Ings, but the sale of a succession of their best players and another managerial merry-go-round ultimately led to relegation to the Championship in 2022/23.
Southampton bounced back again under Russell Martin by winning the Play-Offs in May 2024, but the Scotsman was sacked in December. His replacement, Croatian Ivan Jurić, won just two matches in five months before he too was dismissed.
And so, 50 years and 28 managers on from McMenemy’s historic FA Cup triumph, Southampton are searching for that winning formula - and a new manager - once again.
Previous Meetings…
West Ham United have won nine of the previous 14 Premier League meetings between the two clubs, with Southampton registering two victories and the pair sharing three draws.
Former Saints loanee Michail Antonio, who won the EFL Trophy with Southampton in 2010, scored the first of his Club-record 68 Premier League goals for West Ham in a 2-1 home win over his former club at the Boleyn Ground in December 2015.
The Hammers' biggest Premier League win over Southampton was a 4-1 victory at the Boleyn on 20 October 2012.
West Ham also lead the all-time stats against the Saints, winning 21 of the 43 Premier League meetings between the two, with 12 wins for Southampton and ten draws.
In all competitions, the Hammers' record win over the Saints came back in October 1913, when the east Londoners were 5-1 Southern Division victors at the Boleyn Ground.
Match Officials…
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Anthony Taylor
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Marc Perry
Saturday’s match will be refereed by Andrew Kitchen, who will be taking charge of a Premier League fixture for the first time in his career.
The Durham native has made a rapid rise through the officiating ranks, having been added to the Select Group 2 (SG2) list of officials, who predominately take charge of EFL Championship matches, at the start of the 2023/24 season.
This season, Kitchen has taken charge of 24 Championship fixtures, with the most recent being Monday’s 1-1 draw between Hull City and Coventry City.
Prior to that, Kitchen was a member of the National Group, and he began officiating in the EFL at the start of the 2021/22 season.
Before being promoted to the National Group, Kitchen refereed in the National League North and South, taking charge of the National League South Play-Off final between Woking and Welling United in May 2019.
In 2019/20, he moved up to the National League, while also officiating in Premier League 2, and remained at that level for two seasons before joining the National Group in the summer of 2021.
He has since taken charge of over 100 matches in the EFL, as well as FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy ties and two EFL League One Play-Off semi-finals.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
