Southampton midfielder Finn Azaz has issued West Ham with a warning ahead of Saturday’s Championship showdown at the London Stadium. The Saints midfielder has described the fixture as “massive” and suggested it provides his side with an opportunity to “stamp our authority” on the division.
Azaz also insists Southampton believe they are capable of beating anybody, and that confidence is understandable. As we have highlighted in our Claret & Hugh Promotion Watch, the Saints’ league position is somewhat misleading because of the four-point deduction imposed at the beginning of the campaign.
Without that penalty, Southampton would be only one point behind West Ham in the table. So whilst Nuno Espírito Santo’s team have made significant progress in recent weeks, Saturday’s opponents have every reason to believe they can challenge the Hammers.
Saints Must Back Up Their Belief
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Azaz acknowledged that West Ham possess arguably the strongest squad in the Championship. However, Southampton clearly view Saturday’s game as an opportunity rather than something to fear.
I don’t doubt for a moment that the Saints believe they can beat anybody. However, if they are serious about making that points deduction irrelevant, these are precisely the games they need to win.
The same applies to West Ham. Victory would put some valuable daylight between the two clubs and strengthen the Hammers’ position among the promotion contenders. As I pointed out in our latest promotion analysis, West Ham’s recent victories have significantly improved their points projection for the season.
Southampton’s formidable defensive record deserves respect, but West Ham enter the weekend as the Championship’s highest scorers. The Hammers have scored 30 goals in their opening 11 league matches, making this a meeting between a team that has become extremely difficult to break down and the most productive attack in the division.
Cup Win Offers West Ham A Clue
It is difficult to know how much psychological advantage West Ham will gain from their 4-1 Carabao Cup victory at Southampton in August.
Both teams are likely to field significantly different line-ups this weekend, and a league encounter at the London Stadium will present a very different challenge.
Nevertheless, that emphatic result should provide Nuno Espírito Santo with a useful insight into how Southampton might set up and where they can be exposed. The performance of West Ham’s youngsters in that cup victory also demonstrated that the Saints can be troubled by an energetic, attacking approach.
Azaz’s challenge adds a little spice to an already fascinating game but realistically…what else is he going to say? Southampton want to make a statement, but West Ham have an equally significant opportunity to remind their promotion rivals why they are setting the Championship pace.