Southampton 0 West Ham 1: Sebastian Haller ends dry spell to ease pressure on Pellegrini and keep Saints in drop zone

SEBASTIEN HALLER repaid Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to recall him with the goal which might just save his manager’s job. Pellegrini knew a defeat would leave him facing the axe after a miserable run of form which had seen them win just one of eleven games. But he threw £45million record signing Haller back into his […]

SEBASTIEN HALLER repaid Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to recall him with the goal which might just save his manager’s job.

Pellegrini knew a defeat would leave him facing the axe after a miserable run of form which had seen them win just one of eleven games.

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But he threw £45million record signing Haller back into his side in the must-win battle against relegation rivals Saints – and the decision paid off with a vital three points at St Mary’s.

Felipe Anderson has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far for the Hammers, a shadow of the player who impressed in his opening year in England.

So his absence having fallen ill on Friday was not the blow for the Londoners it previously might have been.

It allowed Pellegrini to restore Haller to the starting line-up and switch to a two-man attack alongside Michail Antonio as the manager decided going on the attack in a desperate bid to save his job.

And he thought his side had made the ideal start to such a must-win match when Declan Rice headed into the bottom corner after just two minutes.

But no sooner had the travelling West Ham crowd begun their celebrations they were cut short by the flag, with the linesman spotting Rice had been just offside when he moved to meet Robert Snodgrass’s free-kick.

It was a sign of how positive the Hammers intended to be, and they went close to breaking the deadlock again on seven minutes.

Snodgrass found Antonio on the right and he squared for Pablo Fornals to shoot on goal, only for a fine last-ditch tackle from Cedric Soares to save Saints.

For a side who were coming in looking for a third straight home win, Southampton were playing with little confidence or attacking intent.

And in a match so vital to their hopes of climbing out of relegation trouble, they also lacked the kind of passion the home crowd would have been hoping for.

West Ham had been so suspect at the back coming into the game, Danny Ings and Shane Long should have been charging forward looking for openings.

Instead, but for a tame header which was easily dealt with by David Martin, the home side offered nothing at all.

It was the Hammers who were the only ones who looked threatening with the partnership of Antonio and Haller proving difficult to deal with.

And on 25 minutes the visitors were screaming for a penalty when Haller was bundled over by Bertrand as he attempted to get his head on Aaron Cresswell’s cross.

It was a shove similar to the on VAR spotted to deny Crystal Palace a goal against Liverpool recently, but this time the officials decided no offence had been committed.

But the Hammers were not to be denied for long, and when the goal came in the 37th minute it was no more than they deserved.

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Antonio got down the right, then found Snodgrass who clipped a cross to the far post for Pablo Fornals to head down into the path of Haller.

The big striker scuffed his volley a little, but it was still good enough to beat Alex McCarthy and rebound into the net off the bottom of the far post.

It was the striker’s first goal for two months, and he dashed to the sidelines to celebrate with French compatriot Issa Diop on the Hammers bench, who has helped him stay positive during his goal drought.

Out of nothing Saints should have scored an equaliser two minutes before the break, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed over with just Martin to beat.

Saints were so abject in the opening half you felt there was no way things could get any worse after the break.

But within a minute only a brilliant fingertip save from McCarthy prevented Fornals doubling the lead with a fierce volley from the edge of the box.

With that reprieve Hasenhuttl’s side pushed up and should have levelled from another Soares cross but James Ward-Prowse misjudged his header and the chance was gone.

Immediately after the Hammers thought they had doubled their lead when the unstoppable Antonio burst through half-hearted to challenges to lash the ball into the bottom corner.

But that strike was ruled out by VAR Jonathan Moss who spotted an unintentional handball in one of the challenges from Antonio. It was harsh, but it was the right call.

If Saints learnt anything from watching the way the Londoners capitulated against Arsenal on Monday it was they can get edgy and collapse when defending a lead.

So the home side plugged away, and Djenpeo tried his luck from 20 yards, but saw his effort go well high and wide.

Djenepo had suddenly come alive, and his cross from the left on 69 minutes found Ings in the box who controlled, swivelled and powered a shot that beat Martin all ends up, only to cannon down off the bar and Long hit the side netting with the follow up.

Saints thought they had levelled on 75 minutes when Ings hit a rasping shot into the top corner, but ref Martin Atkinson had spotted a foul on Ryan Fredericks by Djenepo.

The Hammers went straight up the other end as Antonio found Haller with a dipping cross, but the striker’s header was brilliantly turned away by McCarthy.

Sub Andriy Yarmolenko then spurned a great chance ballooning over from close range, before Saints defender Jack Stephens fluffed his effort on goal so badly it went out for a throw-in.