West Ham United defeated Southampton 1-0 on Sunday after Nayef Aguerd scored from a set piece in the first half, providing the London team with some relief in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Both teams were in 19th and 20th places before the match started, but the victory moved West Ham up to 14th with 27 points, while Southampton remained at the bottom, three points adrift of safety.
West Ham took the lead in the 25th minute when Aguerd soared to score a header from a free-kick, although he had to wait anxiously as the video assistant referee took several minutes to check whether the Moroccan defender was ahead of the last defender before the goal was awarded. The visiting team had more possession, but the goal ignited West Ham's enthusiasm, and Jarrod Bowen nearly doubled the lead on a counterattack just before halftime, only for his shot to hit the crossbar after evading the goalkeeper.
On the other side, Lukasz Fabianski was tested several times by Southampton, but the Polish keeper remained composed, preserving a clean sheet despite Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu's header hitting the bar. Southampton lacked creativity in their attack, leading to their defeat, while West Ham, who have a game in hand compared to their relegation rivals, climbed five positions and eased the pressure on their manager, David Moyes.
