Intro and Team News
IBO Reporter - channonite
|So, the last match of an extraordinary season. Thankfully Saints were safe a while ago and in truth, never really under threat of relegation, in spite of their absolutely appalling form since the turn of the year. There was a point where I did wonder if they were going for the record of being the first side to both top the Premier League (remember that?) and get relegated in the same season. Thankfully that was just my paranoia speaking.
The only injury from the last game was Adams, rested for this match, but there was the welcome news of the return from injury of Oriol Romeu, who was on the bench.
Ralph decided to stick with McCarthy in goal and go with a back four of Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard and Salisu, with Stephens dropping to the bench. The midfield pairing was the ever-present Ward-Prowse together with the returning Diallo, which freed up Armstrong to join Redmond as the wide forwards. For this game Ings was paired with Minamino.
Mohammed Salisu has been a revalation this season, although hardly seen in his usual role of central defender, he was the left back today
West Ham
- 1 Fabianski
- 5 Coufal
- 15 Dawson
- 21 Ogbonna
- 3 Cresswell
- 28 Soucek
- 41 Rice (Diop 90’+2)
- 20 Bowen (Noble 84’)
- 11 Lingard
- 18 Fornals
- 30 Antonio (Benrahma 69')
Substitutes
- 4 Balbuena
- 7 Yarmolenko
- 9 Benrahma
- 16 Noble
- 23 Diop
- 24 Fredericks
- 31 Johnson
- 35 Randolph
- 45 Odubeko
Southampton
- 1 McCarthy
- 2 Walker-Peters (Romeu 60')
- 35 Bednarek - Booked 48'
- 4 Vestergaard
- 22 Salisu - Booked 73'
- 17 Armstrong
- 8 Ward-Prowse
- 27 Diallo -Booked 67'
- 11 Redmond
- 9 Ings (Obafemi 84')
- 19 Minamino (Tella 62')
Substitutes
- 5 Stephens
- 6 Romeu
- 12 Djenepo
- 14 Obafemi
- 23 Tella
- 32 Walcott
- 40 N'Lundulu
- 44 Forster
- 47 Ferry
