West Ham v Southampton Preview: Nuno Can Widen Promotion Gap

West Ham United v Southampton
EFL Championship
London Stadium
Saturday 24 October 2026, 3pm BST

West Ham United’s victory at Swansea City was absolutely massive. Not only did we beat the Championship leaders on their own ground, but the result also removed almost all of the immediate pressure from Nuno Espírito Santo following a difficult run of performances.

There are still reservations about Nuno’s tactics and questions remain over how slowly West Ham begin matches. However, even his fiercest critics must admit he is doing a decent job this season, with the Hammers second in the table and unbeaten in nine league games.

Southampton’s visit now presents an excellent opportunity to strengthen that position. The Saints are genuine promotion rivals, but victory on Saturday would put significant daylight between the two clubs and make three consecutive West Ham wins following the international break.

Swansea Victory Removed The Pressure

The 1-0 win at Swansea was a genuine promotion statement. Unlike the 6-0 victory against nine-man Lincoln City, this was achieved away to the league leaders in a competitive match against one of the division’s strongest teams.

It was not a dominant performance, and Swansea created enough opportunities to make the afternoon uncomfortable. However, West Ham defended extremely well, competed physically and found the decisive goal through Divine Mukasa.

That result moved the Hammers into second place and completely changed the atmosphere surrounding Nuno. Having faced understandable questions after the poor performances against QPR and during the first half at Lincoln, he has now delivered consecutive away victories and placed West Ham firmly inside the automatic promotion positions.

The numbers support the sense that the situation has changed quickly. As Claret & Hugh’s latest promotion projections demonstrated, the outlook has improved dramatically following those two wins.

Nuno has not answered every question, but his critics have certainly been silenced for now.

Slow Starts Remain A Concern

West Ham’s position is healthy, but there are still issues which need addressing. We continue to start matches too slowly, allowing opponents to settle and grow in confidence before showing the required urgency.

That happened against QPR and again at Lincoln, despite the eventual six-goal winning margin. Even against Swansea, the Hammers had to withstand significant pressure after taking the lead and were fortunate that the hosts failed to take their opportunities.

Nuno deserves credit for the results and for finding different ways to win. However, West Ham cannot continually rely on improving during matches or on the superior quality of the squad eventually making the difference.

Southampton have lost only twice in the Championship this season. If West Ham begin Saturday’s game passively, they will face a team capable of taking advantage.

Kanté’s Influence Continues To Grow

Mohamadou Kanté has become an increasingly influential player for Nuno. This was always likely to be the young Frenchman’s breakout season, but it is happening faster than many people expected.

His energy and pressing were crucial at Swansea. Kanté helped make the home side uncomfortable in possession and was directly involved in the move which ended with Mukasa scoring the winning goal.

He is beginning to look like a player Nuno trusts in important matches. While there is enormous competition for places in West Ham’s midfield, Kanté’s performances are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

I expect him to start in the attacking-midfield role behind Taty Castellanos on Saturday, with Mukasa dropping deeper alongside Arne Engels.

Austbø Has Earned His Opportunity

Edvin Austbø deserves to start on the left ahead of Manor Solomon. The Norwegian was a menace after coming off the bench at Lincoln, scoring an excellent goal and repeatedly carrying the ball towards the opposition defence.

Solomon still looks knackered after international duty. There is little value in continually starting a player who appears fatigued when Austbø is producing energetic and dangerous cameos from the bench.

The youngster now deserves an opportunity from the beginning. Southampton are likely to be organised and difficult to break down, so Austbø’s pace and willingness to run directly at defenders could be particularly valuable.

There have already been calls for Nuno to make changes against Southampton, and this is the most obvious one. Austbø has earned his chance rather than simply receiving it because another player needs resting.

Victory Could Create A Serious Gap

Southampton should be considered genuine promotion rivals. They began the season with a four-point deduction but have still climbed to eighth after losing only twice in their opening Championship fixtures.

That makes their league position slightly deceptive. Peeping Tonda Eckert’s side would be even closer to West Ham without the punishment and should remain involved around the promotion places as the season develops.

Saturday therefore offers West Ham an opportunity to do more than collect another three points. Victory would create significant separation from one of the teams capable of challenging for promotion while strengthening our own position in the top two.

Former Hammer Flynn Downes is doubtful after damaging an ankle ligament against Norwich City. His absence would be significant because he is an experienced and effective Championship midfielder, even if allowing him to leave West Ham was the correct decision.

Southampton could also have concerns over striker Cyle Larin, making the latest team news worth monitoring. The full fixture details and confirmed availability will be updated in West Ham United’s official match guide.

Gonzo’s Predicted West Ham Team

Nuno’s team remains difficult to predict because of the options available in midfield and attack. However, I expect him to retain the back four which performed well at Swansea, restore Castellanos as the central striker and reward Austbø with a start on the left.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Gonzo’s Prediction

Southampton’s record indicates this will be a more difficult match than their league position suggests. They are genuine promotion rivals and have been beaten only twice, so West Ham will need to start far more quickly than they have in recent games.

However, the Swansea victory should have removed much of the tension surrounding Nuno and his players. West Ham return to the London Stadium with momentum, growing confidence and the opportunity to put meaningful distance between themselves and Southampton.

I expect the Hammers’ attacking quality to prove decisive.

Prediction: West Ham United 3-1 Southampton