Nayef Aguerd scored the game-winning goal for West Ham United against relegation rivals Southampton, lifting them out of the bottom three and leaving the Saints at the bottom of the Premier League table.

West Ham secures a hard-fought win over Southampton to climb higher in the Premier League table

West Ham United defeated fellow relegation candidates Southampton, climbing out of the bottom three and leaving their opponents at the bottom of the Premier League table. Nayef Aguerd’s precise header from Thilo Kehrer’s free-kick was initially ruled out for offside but was eventually awarded after a lengthy VAR check.

Despite being the superior team throughout, West Ham only had one shot on goal before Gavin Bazunu saved Said Benrahma’s late free-kick. Declan Rice was a rare bright spot in David Moyes’ side this season, which has struggled for consistency. Their fans are worried about losing Rice, who has been linked with a move to one of the league’s top clubs.

The atmosphere at the London Stadium was depressing, with fans growing increasingly frustrated with their team’s lack of urgency on the ball. Moyes was pleased with the outcome, stating that he had instructed his players to prioritize points over improving their performances. West Ham moved up to 14th in the table as a result of the victory.

Southampton’s struggles deepen as they fall to the bottom of the league standings

Meanwhile, Southampton continue to struggle under new manager Ruben Selles. The Saints’ board has yet to find a permanent replacement for Ralph Hasenhuttl, and Selles faces an uphill battle to keep his team out of the bottom three. Despite some impressive results, Southampton’s form has been poor since November, and they remain at the bottom of the table.

Southampton’s free-kicks have been a consistent source of goals for James Ward-Prowse, but they were unable to create any chances from set-pieces against West Ham. Selles admitted that his team struggled to make the right decisions in the final third of the game, and that they were fortunate not to concede more goals.

Southampton has a difficult schedule ahead of them, with six of the eight teams in the table playing at least once before their next game against Manchester City on April 8. While Selles will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes, Southampton is running out of time to secure their Premier League status for next season.