Four things we loved as West Ham United won at Southampton on Boxing Day!

1. Bowen moves second in Premier League goal charts

With his St Mary’s Stadium victory, Jarrod Bowen rose to the second position on West Ham United’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record.

Bowen’s close-range goal in the second half put him one goal ahead of Mark Noble and Paolo Di Canio and was his 48th top-flight goal in Claret and Blue. It came against the same team he scored his debut goal for the Club back in February 2020.

First place may not be possible for a while because Michail Antonio is on 68, but the captain may still be extremely happy of his accomplishment.

The England international has demonstrated his immense significance to the side he leads by scoring five Premier League goals this season in wins over Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and now Southampton.

2. Substitutes rise to the challenge

In their Boxing Day victory over Southampton, West Ham United employed 17 players, and each one contributed to the team’s clean sheet and welcome victory.

Julen Lopetegui was allowed to make six changes at St Mary’s Stadium after Łukasz Fabiański was concussed in a collision while heroically punching clear a Southampton corner on the half-hour.

Alphonse Areola took Fabiański’s place and preserved his goal, but Maximilian Kilman and Carlos Soler sustained more injuries in the first half, which gave Jean-Clair Todibo and Edson Álvarez early chances and both of them performed well.

Lopetegui substituted defenders Aaron Cresswell (for his 300th Premier League appearance) and Vladimír Coufal to help finish the game in the second half, as well as Crysencio Summerville, who came near to scoring.

3. Cresswell hits Premier League appearance landmark

Aaron Cresswell made history by becoming the second West Ham United player to reach 300 Premier League appearances with the team with his second-half substitute appearance against Southampton.

Earlier this month, the 35-year-old defender demonstrated his worth and expertise by supporting the Hammers.

Ten-and-a-half years since he debuted in Claret and Blue, Cresswell brought up his top-flight triple century with his 110th victory and 63rd clean sheet in the competition.

The No3 joins a very limited and prestigious company of just two players who have played 300 Premier League games for the Club, with the other being Cresswell’s long-time teammate and friend Mark Noble.

With 356 appearances overall, the Liverpool native is ranked 26th on the list of all-time appearances in all competitions.

4. ‘Oh, what fun it is to see West Ham win away!’

On Boxing Day, the Claret and Blue Army outsang the Southampton fans at St Mary’s Stadium, even though they were outnumbered nine to one.

The 3,000 West Ham United supporters who traveled to the south coast were treated to a show in appreciation of their loud support.

The Hammers defeated the Saints despite losing three players to injuries in the first half, extending their winning streak against teams that began the matchday at the bottom of the Premier League to 21 games.

The traveling supporters sang a chorus of “Jingle Bells” with a West Ham theme as the players thanked them for their support. They then returned up the M3 to celebrate their team with a few celebratory drinks.

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