West Ham 3-0 Southampton: Three key takeaways

It was the worst possible outcome for Southampton on Saturday – losing 0-3 visiting West Ham, which was earmarked as one of the relegation battles of the season.

The Saints never had a shot.  Slow out of the gate, unnerved by the energy of London Stadium, and bitten by two counter attacks and three goals in the first half.

Mario Lemina and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made crucial mistakes that led to West Ham goals, who must be rewarded for their response.  The Hammers, recently under their own scrutiny, after over 20 fans received life time bans following the debacle three weeks ago.

Both teams desperately needed the three points to separate from the bottom of the pack.  Southampton, the more desperate of the two, are now left with a very difficult schedule, and not many winnable games ahead.

The talk on social media is barren and hope seems lost, but in reality there is still a lot of football to play.  It is hard to stay positive following as listless as a performance as you will see, but fans should not quit on a team now that cannot function without their support.

Here are three key takeaways from the weekend.