West Ham have won 16 Premier League games versus Southampton, more than against any other side.
The Saints have lost four of the past five top-flight encounters – having been beaten in just three of the previous 12 (W5, D4).
The Hammers have not opened the scoring in 15 Premier League visits to Southampton since a 1-1 draw at The Dell in March 1995.
The Saints are hoping to claim a third successive league win at St Mary’s – which would be their best run at home since a four-match sequence at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Danny Ings could become the first Saints player to score in six successive top-flight appearances since James Beattie in 2003.
Ings has already scored in five league defeats this season – the only Southampton player to score in more losses in a single Premier League campaign is Matt Le Tissier (seven defeats in 1992-93).
The Hammers have lost seven of their last nine league matches and have five points fewer than at this stage last season.
West Ham have claimed 56.3% of their points away from home this season – the highest percentage in the top flight.
West Ham have dropped 12 points from winning positions in 2019-20, equalling their total last season – only Aston Villa, with 13, have a worse record in the current campaign.
The Hammers have lost just one of their seven Premier League games with Lukasz Fabianski starting in goal this season but have been beaten in seven of nine matches when the Pole hasn’t played.
Manuel Pellegrini has lost only one of his eight Premier League matches as a manager against Southampton (W6, D1).