Five winners and one loser from Southampton's statement 3-2 win at West Ham

Heading into the match on Saturday, goals would have been expected.

Indeed, West Ham United are the overall top goalscorers in the Championship, and they bagged another two at a wet and windy London Stadium, to take their tally to an incredible 33 strikes, when facing Southampton.

Yet, those two goals wouldn't be enough for Nuno Espirito Santo's hosts, as the Saints' own clinical finishing in the first half - that saw them bag an outrageous three goals inside 34 minutes - clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory, which sends out a statement to the division, that Tonda Eckert's men are well and truly in the automatic promotion race.

There were so many positive performers for the away side on a memorable day out to the capital, alongside one forgotten figure who will be gutted he couldn't get in on the goal-scoring action, as a rare loser from the high-octane win.

Winner #1 Kuryu Matsuki

Kuryu Matsuki would set the tone for a bonkers afternoon at the London Stadium when he scored Southampton's opener after just two minutes had been played.

The South Coast outfit started immediately on the front foot, and the lively Japan international was thankfully in the right place, at the right time, to break the deadlock, after Leo Scienza's initial effort was unconvincingly saved by Mads Hermansen.

Matsuki is now up to three Championship goals for the season, and he put in a shift in during his frantic 73 minutes on the pitch, as the energetic number 27 also won four duels for his team's cause.

At the moment, he is Eckert's trusty right-wing starter, as he keeps popping up with big goals for the promotion hopefuls.

Winner #2 James Bree

James Bree has the same knack, clearly, as he followed up his decisive goal in the South Coast Derby with a sucker punch to West Ham's confidence on Saturday.

The Hammers were trying to calm the game down, after Matsuki had silenced the home crowd, but Bree wasn't playing to that script, as he smashed home a delightful effort on the 11th minute mark, after Caspar Jander's cross was tipped into his path.

Making a mammoth nine clearances, too, as West Ham troubled the Saints defence all match, Bree is rock-solid now as Eckert's main right-back, down the same flank as an impressive Matsuki.

Winner #3 Lewis Dobbin

Matsuki and Bree would have been delighted with their goals, but Lewis Dobbin would have been overflowing with an uncontainable joy when he bundled home the Saints' third effort of the game, as he poked a shot into an empty net when the clock hit 34 minutes.

Finally, the ex-Aston Villa attacker, who hasn't been in the good books this season so far with the St Mary's masses, is off the mark in his new Saints colours, as he proved why Eckert stuck him into the side as the lone striker with Cyle Larin out injured.

He could've had another goal, as well, as one of his three other attempts on Hermansen's busy net clipped the crossbar.

If Larin remains out of the side with an injury issue, Dobbin will be hoping he can be the makeshift marksman Eckert can depend on going forward.

Winner #4 James Ward-Prowse

James Ward-Prowse didn't get on the scoresheet against his former side, but the classy number 30 - who was ostracised by Nuno at the London Stadium - would've enjoyed the barnstorming 3-2 win all the same.

Nuno just never took a liking to the veteran midfielder, but the Hammers' loss has ended up being the Saints' immense gain, as he delivered another typically cool performance from the middle of the park.

Only five of his 53 passes during the challenging contest went astray, with Ward-Prowse also registering six ball recoveries, as he had to work hard all match to ensure he got one over on his former employers.

Much like Dobbin coming into the team helped ease the notable absence of the Brampton Bagsman, Ward-Prowse calmly going about his business once more made the loss of Flynn Downes in the starting XI less of a blow.

Winner #5 Daniel Peretz

Lastly, on the winner's front, Daniel Peretz deserves a big shout-out.

He might well have conceded two goals, but without the ex-Bayern Munich stopper in between the sticks, a win could have easily slipped out of Southampton's grasp.

Right at the close of the match, the Hammers very nearly equalised to make it 3-3.

But, Peretz - as the Daily Echo's Dan Hargraves noted - pulled off an "outstanding save" to deny the hosts a last-gasp share of the points.

Amassing a mighty ten saves in total, his alert nature all match was as crucial as the on-fire Saints attackers sticking all those goals away in the berserk first half.

Loser #1 Divin Mubama

Divin Mubama would have loved a goal to come his way.

Unfortunately, he wasn't handed a start against his ex-employers in his pursuit to score, and that proved to be the right call, as Dobbin finally broke his Saints duck as the chosen striker.

In the end, all Mubama was given was a meagre eight-minute runout right towards the end of the match, meaning he managed just five touches.

Mubama's lack of minutes in the Championship this season:

At this current point in time, the best course of action involving the young loanee could be to allow him to return to Manchester City, as he is certainly isn't in Eckert's first team plans.

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