Already-relegated Southampton are just one point from surpassing the lowest-ever Premier League points tally after snatching a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 at West Ham.
Lesley Ugochukwu’s 93rd-minute superb volleyed leveller moved Saints onto 11 points, equalling Derby’s record in the 2007/08 season, with the south coast club having five games left to beat it.
Jarrod Bowen’s 47th-minute goal had put Saints on course for a 27th league defeat of the season, but Southampton struck late to pick up just a second point from their last nine league games.
Team news
- West Ham made three changes to the side which lost at Liverpool as striker Niclas Fullkrug started, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka missed out with a toe injury.
- Vladimir Coufal came in at right-back, while Emerson Palmieri replaced Oliver Scarles at left-back, who was benched alongside defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
- Southampton made one change from last weekend’s home defeat to Aston Villa as Flynn Downes returned from suspension to start against his former club as Cameron Archer dropped to the bench.
Boos greeted both the half-time and full-time whistle at the London Stadium as the home fans expressed their frustration at their side extending their winless run under Graham Potter to six games as they sit 16th in the table.
The Hammers failed to create much against the Championship-bound side, who had the better of the first half, as Kyle Walker-Peters dragged his 26th-minute shot wide and Kamaldeen Sulemana hit the bar five minutes later.
But just one minute and 43 seconds after the restart, West Ham took the lead through Bowen’s clinical curling finish.
Southampton, however, pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded when on-loan Chelsea midfielder Ugochukwu fired in off the post in the third minute of added time for a rare moment of Saints joy in their dismal season.
Ugochukwu’s first PL goal
Lesley Ugochukwu’s late equaliser was his first goal in his 34th Premier League appearance (for Southampton and Chelsea).
Fullkrug hits out at West Ham team-mates
West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug speaking to Sky Sports:
“It’s a mindset problem. Very angry today. Not disappointed, just angry about what we did after the goal.
“It was difficult to bring the boys back to push up. We didn’t push up anymore. We tried, but we didn’t have the ability or motivation to push up again.
Image: West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug has criticsed his team-mates following the draw against Saints
“I’m very, very angry that we played like this. It’s not the first time that we scored a goal, and the next goal-kick we just shoot the ball long, we don’t try to play football anymore. We just sink.
“That’s not the way we want to play. Why can we play 65 minutes before with possession, even if it’s not perfect, trying to create chances and score, and then we do score, and after that half of the team try to score again, and the other half of the team just try to defend very deep.
“That’s not the way it works. We have to find a way to have togetherness, to have the idea of where we want to go and what we want to do.
“The coach is very clear about what he wants, but we have to do it all. Everyone has to do it.”
West Ham fans show frustration at full-time
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith:
“The West Ham fans were not impressed with that performance from their side at all.
“They were well off it in the first half, when Southampton had the best chances. Bowen’s goal gave them a flying start to the second half, and they were unfortunate not to add another.
“But Potter opted to hold on to the 1-0, going to a back five and making defensive substitutions – and then they conceded anyway.
“The West Ham supporters turned up expecting to be entertained and wanting their side to cut loose against a Southampton team that have been so poor all season. They didn’t get that at all.”
Story of the match in stats…
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