West Ham’s recent Premier League slump continued as they fell to a 3-2 home defeat to Southampton at the London Stadium.
Saints took the lead after only eight minutes when Mohamed Elyounoussi finished from the edge of the penalty area.
Michail Antonio levelled three minutes after coming on at half-time but James Ward-Prowse restored Southampton’s superiority from the penalty spot (61) after Craig Dawson had fouled Armando Broja inside the box.
Said Benrahma hooked in a second equaliser for the Hammers (64) but Jan Bednarek rose to glance home from Ward-Prowse’s free-kick (70) to establish the advantage for a third time for Southampton which they would not relinquish.
The result means the Hammers have only won one of their last seven league games as they slipped below Tottenham into sixth place – seven points behind fourth-placed Arsenal – while a first win in seven matches for Southampton moves them up to 14th position.
Southampton were aiming to end a six-game winless streak this weekend while West Ham had also endured mixed form of late – and they fell behind inside eight minutes following a sluggish start.
It was a very well-worked goal for Saints which started at the feet of Fraser Forster at the goal-kick and following a sweeping 15-pass move, Kyle Walker-Peters picked out Elyounoussi to control with his right and finish left-footed low beyond the dive of Lukasz Fabianski.
The Hammers, who entered the Boxing Day programme fifth in the Premier League, had triumphed in only two of their previous nine matches in all competitions, but their response to falling behind will have alarmed David Moyes as it was the visitors who continued to carry the greater threat.
The hosts were toiling as Nikola Vlasic lost the ball too easily in midfield to allow Saints to snap out on the counter as Nathan Redmond’s teasing cross narrowly evaded the diving header of Broja at the near post.
Since Ralph Hasenhuttl took over in December 2018, Southampton have lost 73 points from winning positions – 17 more than any other side – but his side nearly doubled their lead when Elyounoussi’s slaloming run drew a smart save from Fabianksi.
Forster was doing his best to play up to the role as pantomime villain with his time-wasting antics at restarts, but he was belatedly called into action five minutes before the break.
A sloppy pass from Bednarek was pounced on by Vlasic as he stepped away from Mohammed Salisu to draw a save from the returning veteran goalkeeper, with Walker-Peters reacting quicker than Declan Rice to the loose ball.
There were a few jeers at the interval from the home supporters, and Moyes wasted little time in ringing the changes at the break as Manuel Lanzini and Antonio replaced Pablo Fornals and Vlasic – and the pair instantly combined for Antonio to poke a first-time shot at Forster.
Southampton were punished, however, moments later as Bowen’s corner was headed back across goal by Craig Dawson for Antonio to glance home his first Premier League goal in nine games from close range.
Referee Kevin Friend referred to VAR Craig Pawson as a tight offside call was reviewed, but replays showed Bednarek’s back foot played the forward fractionally onside.
West Ham had won just one of their previous seven league games on Boxing Day, but they were suddenly in the ascendancy as Declan Rice wriggled away from Oriol Romeu to crack a low shot from range just wide of the post.
Southampton had rarely threatened since the restart, however they were given a route back to restoring their advantage when Dawson’s untidy challenge on Broja inside the box was punished upon VAR review.
“I think it was a penalty,” Hasenhuttl said afterwards. “It’s good that the referee looked back at the VAR. We’ve seen with Armando’s pace that he can cause problems.”
Moyes responded: “I thought the initial contact was outside the box and then he was falling inside. We’ve had a batch of VAR decisions go against us, when you think about the decision for the penalty at Arsenal, a goal against Brighton and the decision not to give a penalty against Burnley. I don’t really know what they’re going to give.”
Ward-Prowse kept his nerve to convert low to Fabianski’s right, but Saints’ lead was short-lived.
Three minutes later, West Ham were level as Bowen was found in space down the right and when Walker-Peters failed to get tight to the forward, his dinked cross was lashed into the net on the half volley by Benrahma.
Moyes had hoped it would act as the springboard for his side to complete their rescue mission, but when a third goal in the space of nine frantic minutes arrived, it was Southampton who were celebrating taking the lead yet again. Ward-Prowse was this time the provider as his precise free-kick was glanced beyond Fabianski by Bednarek for his second goal of the season.
Benrhama hurried a finish well over the bar before being withdrawn as Moyes turned to Andriy Yarmolenko in the closing stages. Despite six added minutes, West Ham were unable to trouble Forster as they suffered a damaging setback to their Champions League aspirations.
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