Chapter 1: What was the significance of Sebastian Haller's winning goal?
Sebastian Alla, who has had some fellow weeks, finally finds the way to goal again.
And that goal from Sebastian Alla, the winner, Mikel Antonio, the man of the match. Both of them are with Greg Whelan.
Guys, very well done. Mikel, just how much did you need this today?
Oh, it was massive. Obviously, the performances that we've done the last couple of weeks, we showed that we've improved, but obviously we've not got the results that we wanted. But today we showed that we've still got the fire, we showed we've got the grit, and we've come here and got the three points.
It was important to me, massively, because they were only a point behind us, and now we're four points adrift from them.
Sebastian, just how anxious, how nervous was that second half, particularly after Mikel's goal was disallowed?
Yeah, it was not that easy because you know that both teams had less confidence most of the other teams, so it was really important to get the three points. Anyway, I'll get the three points, but we just needed the three points, so it was really anxious hands.
So frustrating that the ball bounced up against your hand, wasn't it?
It would have been a good goal otherwise.
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Chapter 2: How did Mikel Antonio's performance impact the match?
I think I'm going to cut my hands off. It happened to me at Chelsea, it's happened to me today. I don't know what I need to do with my arms, but it's like a magnet to it. But it shows I'm still getting the good positions and hopefully these handballs start turning into goals.
Well, Sebastian, your goal did win it in the end. How good a time. It's been a while since you've scored as well, hasn't it? So how good a time to get this one?
Yeah, it's been a while. And practically for the team now, for me personally, for everyone who supports the club, it was a really important one. So, yeah, I'm just happy with this one and I hope that we're going to score even more because we will need it.
Sebastian's goal did involve both of you. How much did you enjoy playing together up front?
It was good, obviously. Me and him have got a good relationship at the training ground and it was good that we could finally do it on the pitch.
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Chapter 3: What were the key moments in the second half that caused anxiety?
We enjoyed it massively because you could see the chemistry between us, we're always linking, we're always close to each other, so hopefully we can keep performing this way and we can get ourselves up the league.
Now, question to both of you. In the first half, there was a penalty incident that involved both of you. Now, who should have had a penalty?
In your opinion? Basically, we feel like we both got... One, I was in the headlock and he feels like he got pushed, but on another day, it'll be apparent. But today, the referee decided it was, so we've just got to keep going. We've got the three points and we just keep pushing on.
A lot of scrutiny finally on your manager going into this game today. How pleased are you for him that you've come and got this result?
It was massive, to be fair, because obviously we've got loads of respect for him. Last season we played well under him, we started the season well, and then went in a bit of a blimp, to be fair. I've been here for five years now, and we always have these blimps, but we always come out of it, and hopefully this is the turn where we can start moving forward and getting ourselves up the league.
Well said, great result today. You're also the Premier League man of the match, Mikel.
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Chapter 4: How did the players feel about the disallowed goal?
Sebastian, if you'd do the honours for us, please.
Thank you, my brother.
Well done, guys.
You deserve it, bro.
Good night then for that strike partnership and for West Ham. Mark Noble joins us, the only man who's made more Premier League appearances for West Ham than Carlton Cole. But it's tonight's strike force that we've just been hearing from. It's their first start together since the opening weekend of the season. What did you make of them tonight?
I thought the pair of them was brilliant. I thought Mikey ran the channels. It was so hard to cope with with his pace and power. The way he held up the ball was fantastic. Seb needed that goal tonight, so I'm so pleased for him.
But just I think the way they bounced off each other and played, you can see on the videos that we played a little bit different this evening in a 4-4-2 and with them two up top.
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Chapter 5: What did the players say about their chemistry on the pitch?
Mikey, when he plays like that, you can't get near him because he's so strong. And Yeah, a little knockdown for Seb and them ugly ones, they normally go in, don't they? Coley's used to them ones.
But, Carlton, you were saying that sometimes when you have a partnership like that, you want a few games, you want a few training sessions at least together before you can get a proper rapport, even without that for them. How do you think they got on?
I think they got on like a house on fire, to be honest. Like, it was...
perfect for them to come to here struggling Southampton team and to impose themselves on the situation and they've done that and it made their life a lot easier for the midfield to get up and support as well as you can see four nails with the knockdown for Sebastian to just put it in the left well the keeper's left hand corner.
Made it easier for you, Mark?
Yeah, I mean, we looked a lot more compact tonight. I mean, the manager has always said since he came to the football club, we're going to try and win every game.
Sometimes when you win not so pretty like that, when you're in the position we are, it gives you a lot more confidence in going and playing really nice football because it shows that the team and the players can fight for each other and they can defend a 1-0 win. I mean, look, listen, it's not the prettiest game.
I'm pretty sure all of you didn't enjoy watching it, but for us it was a massive three points.
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Chapter 6: How did the manager's tactics influence the game?
It's not Premier League classics. I don't think it'll be over Christmas, Mark, if I'm being honest.
I don't care. You don't care.
And I'm sure anyone that supports West Ham will feel the same. We're just talking about the two strikers because at a nice balance of Haller playing more centrally and Antonio, we've got a graphic here that shows their movements. And as you say, I think Mikel was unplayable today at times. The power and the pace that he showed.
And that left Haller just in those positions to play nice touches and bring people into play. I want to ask you from a midfield point of view because Carlton said that it makes it easier for you but that leaves you just as a two in there and they change it second half and they put an extra man in midfield. Did that give you a few problems?
Yes, with the two but me and Declan have played in there for so long now for a couple of seasons that we understand each other and when you've got two wired men like Snodgrass and Fournals that we've been working on in the week that stay in their position and get back as a four. It's really hard to break down. I mean, I said in the week, football's really never changed.
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Chapter 7: What challenges did Southampton face during the match?
You know, if you don't concede goals and you score goals and you keep a shape that it's hard to break down, you'll win more than you lose. And tonight was a classic. You could hear the crowd getting frustrated of them playing around the back. And we knew that was going to happen because it happens at our place.
You know, when you keep playing and playing and you're not going forward, the crowd just want you to go forward. And The pressure builds. I mean, I don't know if you've watched the game today, but the Liverpool game, the crowd was anxious because they wasn't going forward and playing. And tonight was, for us, was a defining moment, I think, in the season.
It showed that we can be under the caution in the last five minutes and still defend really well.
Do you think sometimes, Mark, that comes with playing away from home as well, where the pressure's maybe not on you? Good result against Chelsea, good result today. Sometimes at home, the pressure is on you to start and get the crowd going.
I think so, Jane, because you look at Chelsea away, we've done a very similar job on Chelsea. But at home, we go 1-0 up and we keep going and we keep going and we try and get the second one.
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Chapter 8: What does this win mean for West Ham's season moving forward?
And this year, that second goal hasn't come often. So sometimes you need to shore it up at the back, get your players in a defending unit and try and play from there. And I thought we'd done that tonight. We looked really dangerous on the counter. I think they keep and made a couple of great saves, actually.
But towards the end, they had a couple of chances, but we got away with it and we go on with the three points.
12 of the 19 points have come away from home. And you've been explaining some of the reasons why that might happen. But tonight particularly, to go 1-0 up and to face the shots that you were getting from Southampton, was that as pleasing almost as getting the goal?
Yeah, because it builds confidence in the team that you can defend and you're fighting for each other and people are filling in and that's what you need in this league.
I've always said if you play for each other, you're not playing for yourself, there's much more chance of winning and tonight we've done that and you don't get anything in this league if you don't work hard and I thought tonight was brilliant.
I think today you guys made your own luck as well. You worked hard for each other, you made sure that everybody was confident going forward and then you were just shoring up the midfield as well, as you said. And then they changed it, as you said, as well. And I think you guys handled that well. So credit to everybody that participated.
Listen, you need a bit of luck in the game. We got that tonight. We could have scored a couple more, but all in all, to go on with a 1-0 win here, they're a good side. They've been in not bad form lately and we're really pleased.
Also going into the 12 days of Christmas because you don't play now until Boxing Day.
That's why this was so important. Can you imagine going into that with a loss? It would have been horrible. It's just we've got a couple of days off now because of that. So the boys can... I can speak to my kids tonight without having the umpire.
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