West Ham United have a chance to reach first place in the Championship if they defeat Southampton this Saturday. The team, managed by Nuno Espírito Santo and sitting in second position with 22 points from 11 games, will play at their home ground. They are just one point behind leaders Swansea City.
Following a successful result against Swansea City, a 1-0 win on Saturday 17 October with Divine Mukasa scoring the goal, the West Ham coach will probably keep his starting eleven mostly the same. This approach comes after a narrow win that maintained their close position to the top of the table. Attacker Jarrod Bowen, who has scored the most for the club this campaign with six goals, is set to start again.
Southampton, who are in a playoff position, come into the match without a loss in their previous three outings. Their squad faces several potential absences, however. A former West Ham player is uncertain to feature due to an ankle issue, and an important striker may also miss out after picking up a knock. A defender continues to be unavailable because of a knee problem.
West Ham have won their last two games, one of which was a high-scoring success. Their recent form shows two wins and two draws from their last five matches. The recent victories include the 1-0 win at Swansea and a 6-0 thrashing of Lincoln City on Wednesday 14 October, a match where six different players found the net. They also beat Southampton convincingly in a cup match earlier this season, winning 4-1 on Tuesday 25 August. The home side's sole current fitness worry involves a player recovering from an injury.
Playing at home, West Ham are predicted to win. Three points could allow them to overtake Swansea, if that side fails to win its own match. The contest against seventh-placed Southampton begins at 3pm on Saturday 24 October. West Ham's strong season, which has seen them score 30 goals while conceding only 12, will be tested in this key fixture.
