Payback time: Southampton star out to settle score when travelling to West Ham

When Southampton play West Ham United, it's usually reserved for the bright lights of the Premier League.

Indeed, the last time the two teams met in the Championship was back in 2012, with the Saints collecting a 1-1 draw at the old Upton Park, courtesy of a late Jos Hoovield leveller.

Since then, the two sides have only ever met in the top-flight, minus one FA Cup tie, but they're now both stuck in the second tier, 14 years on from that last Championship meeting.

Both teams obviously harbour promotion aspirations, and the Hammers have started the season like a very entertaining runaway train, with 30 goals already scored.

Southampton lag behind on 21, so it could be a game that rains goals at the London Stadium on Saturday, as James Ward-Prowse returns to the Hammers with a big point to prove for Tonda Eckert's visitors.

Ward-Prowse will be out to settle the score

In Southampton's eyes, Ward-Prowse can do no wrong.

He has notched up 419 Saints appearances at the time of writing, scoring 56 goals, and assisting 53 goals, along the way.

Two of those goal contributions have come about since his dramatic return to St Mary's in the summer, with Ward-Prowse only costing £800k to win back, as the Hammers discarded of him without much thought.

While the Saints and their iconic number 30 go hand-in-hand, the 11-time England international never really fit in at the London Stadium, particularly with Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm.

JWP's lack of minutes under Nuno:

The veteran midfielder, despite his obvious class, was pushed out of the Hammers by Nuno, as he was loaned out to Burnley during the second half of last season, only picking up one sorry assist from 14 games at Turf Moor.

When Ward-Prowse brushed shoulders with Nuno at Nottingham Forest, as well, he was cast aside, with the 31-year-old explaining, recently, that he felt "things weren’t explained" to him as to why he was being constantly ostracised.

Being cast aside in such a way has ended up being a big plus for Eckert and Co, as he has slotted back into the Saints first team fold and has barely put a foot wrong.

He will be out to settle the score when returning to his ex-employers that he should have been given more game-time, with a win at the full-time whistle a very sweet feeling for Ward-Prowse, if it can be collected.

He will back himself to score, to further add insult to injury to the hypercritical Nuno, as he has enjoyed playing against West Ham in the past.

He loves scoring against West Ham

Ward-Prowse has faced West Ham 19 times across his entire career to date.

He has only come out on the winning side five times, which is a worryingly slim amount of victories, but he does have an encouraging six goal contributions next to his name facing the East London titans.

On Boxing Day 2021, at the London Stadium no less, Ward-Prowse would grab a goal and an assist as the Saints won a frantic affair 3-2, with Jan Bednarek the 70th minute hero, as he scored the all-important winner, courtesy of an assist from the always creative number 30.

He will be eager to put in a similarly effective display when Saturday rolls around, as Nuno is left to curse his rashness in writing off the veteran midfielder.

It has all the makings of being another goal-fest like 2021's instalment in the Premier League, as Ward-Prowse attempts to get one over on his former side as a much-loved member of Eckert's ranks.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow