West Ham's 28 shots could not undo Southampton's early start

Southampton scored twice inside the first eleven minutes and held on at the London Stadium, winning 3-2, even though West Ham had most of the ball and most of the shots.

Southampton were two goals up at the London Stadium before the first quarter of an hour had passed. Kuryu Matsuki scored in the second minute and James Bree doubled the lead in the eleventh, so for most of the afternoon West Ham were chasing a game they had not started. Kyle Walker-Peters pulled one back in the twenty-fourth minute, with Divine Mukasa setting him up, and Lewis Dobbin restored the cushion ten minutes later. Tomáš Souček's goal in the closing minute gave the home side a consolation, but there was no time left to take anything from it.

Possession was the one place where West Ham were not out of the ordinary. They had 56% of the ball, close to the 58.7% they average at home, so this was simply their usual share. The shots were a different matter. They took 28, against a normal 14.4 for them at home and a league average of 13.1 per side, and 14 of them came from inside the penalty area. Expected goals, or xG, adds up the chances a side creates by judging how often shots of that kind go in, and West Ham's total was about what they usually manage.

Southampton were the reverse. They had 44% of the ball, well below the 56.1% they average away from home, and yet their shots were close to their usual volume, with 11 of their 15 coming from inside the box. Their xG was a little higher than their own away average, which means their chances were better than normal rather than merely more frequent. Three goals was also one more than they usually score on the road, so their finishing was slightly above what their chances suggested.

The comparison that matters most is that Southampton scored a little more than their chances, while West Ham scored a little less. Daniel Peretz made ten saves for Southampton, and his rating of 8.6 is the clearest evidence of how often West Ham were denied. West Ham had the sharper volume and the better share of possession in the first half, but the goalkeeper's work and the quality of the chances at the other end were what decided the outcome.

The table puts the two sides in clear places. West Ham are third with 22 points from 11 matches, and they have already lost one home game this season by a single goal. Southampton are ninth with 17 points from the same number of matches, and they have won four of their last six. Their win here was their first of the season at this ground, meaning the run of form they carried into the match has now been carried onto the road.

Player of the matchDaniel Peretz10 saves8.6

L. Dobbin1 goal7.9

D. Mukasa1 assist7.6

V. Castellanos1 assist7.5