- 1 Southampton vs West Ham United: two relegated sides, two very different starts
- 2 Southampton have finally found their shooting boots
- 3 West Ham United are already in a worrying spot
- 4 Football prediction Southampton vs West Ham United
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes fast
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Southampton vs West Ham United: two relegated sides, two very different starts 
Storm clouds are gathering in the Championship as Southampton host West Ham on Tuesday, August 25 (8:45 pm French time) at St Mary’s Stadium in the second round of the EFL Cup, barely three days after their last league scrap.
Both clubs got through the opening round without much fuss — Southampton by brushing aside Colchester United 2-0 and West Ham by beating Portsmouth 3-1 — but the mood around them is miles apart.
Fresh from their first win of the season against Stoke City on Saturday, a 3-1 victory, the Saints head into this one with a bit of swagger. The same cannot be said of the Hammers, who are still waiting for a spark after two rather limp league games.
The table tells a different story for Southampton. Despite that win, the club sits bottom of the Championship after the four-point deduction handed down in the so-called Spygate scandal.
West Ham, meanwhile, have taken their relegation badly. The Hammers drew 2-2 at Burnley before losing 2-1 at home to Charlton Athletic on Saturday, a defeat greeted by boos from their own fans.
The head-to-head record adds an interesting wrinkle. Southampton have not beaten West Ham in their last four meetings, but they have won the last two cup clashes between the sides.
Both clubs also showed last season that they do still care about the knockout competitions. Southampton reached the FA Cup semi-finals, while West Ham made the quarter-finals of the same tournament.
So this is about more than just getting through to the next round. For one side, it is about backing up a restart. For the other, it is about stopping the early-season slide from getting out of hand.
Southampton have finally found their shooting boots 
The 3-1 win over Stoke City was Southampton’s first league victory of the campaign. Cyle Larin, Divin Mubama and Ryan Manning all got on the scoresheet, with three different scorers in a single match.
It was a needed response after a shaky opening day. The Saints had gone down 2-1 at Watford in their first league game, a result that brought the doubts right back after relegation.
The summer recruitment explains some of the lift in attack. Larin, Mubama, George Long, Daniel Peretz and Lewis Dobbin all arrived in the 2026 window, with promotion straight back to the top flight the stated aim.
The four-point deduction makes that target a lot harder to hit. Southampton are already chasing a handicap in August, which means every league win carries extra weight.
For now, the cup offers a bit of breathing space. The club has made it clear it wants a long run in the competition, following last season’s FA Cup adventure.
Changes are expected at kick-off. Mubama could start up front, while Dobbin is in line to come in for Finn Azaz as the No 10.
The midfield may also be tweaked, with Cam Bragg tipped to replace Flynn Downes. At the back, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is again likely to miss out as Aston Villa circle in the window.
The biggest edge for Southampton is simple enough: they are at home, on the back of a three-goal showing, against a side that still has not won.
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West Ham United are already in a worrying spot 
Two league games, one point: the Hammers are way short of where they want to be. A drop from the Premier League was supposed to be followed by an immediate bounce back, and so far it is not happening.
The 2-2 draw at Burnley could have been written off as a bump in the road. The 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic was different. Much different.
The game itself summed up the current mess. Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell put the Addicks 2-0 up, Joel Piroe pulled one back, then Valentin Castellanos missed a penalty in stoppage time.
Afterwards, Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his side had fallen short of what the fans expected. The Portuguese coach wants a response, and he wants it now, in the cup.
The first-round win did at least offer a steadier reference point. West Ham beat Portsmouth 3-1, still their only convincing performance of the season.
More changes are expected to the starting XI. Lewis Orford, James Ward-Prowse and Joel Veltman are tipped to come in for Arne Engels, Mohamadou Kante and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Up front, Castellanos should keep his place. The Argentine now has the chance to wipe out the damage from Saturday’s missed spot-kick, which makes him one of the key men to watch.
The schedule does them no favours either. They are back in action three days after a home defeat, away to a side that has just won and has already beaten them twice in cup competition.
Probable Southampton line-up: Peretz ; Bree, Wood, Stephens, Manning ; Matsuki, Bragg ; Fellows, Dobbin, Scienza ; Mubama
Probable West Ham United line-up: Hermansen ; Walker-Peters, Veltman, Kilman, Scarles ; Bowen, Orford, Ward-Prowse, Solomon ; Castellanos, Piroe
Football prediction Southampton vs West Ham United
Our prediction: Southampton win
The first argument is current form. Southampton have just won 3-1 with three different scorers, while West Ham are coming off a home defeat to a Championship new boy.
The second is specific to this fixture. Southampton have won the last two cup meetings between the sides, while their poor run against West Ham mostly comes from league games.
The squad situation points the same way. Southampton have five summer signings to call on, while West Ham are still trying to find a settled XI after two league matches.
So the play is Southampton to win at St Mary’s Stadium. A team that has just scored three at home against a side that was booed off by its own fans? The form book is not hard to read.
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