Southampton have started to hit form and were dominant throughout the match on Sunday, easily beating a struggling West Ham side. Here are how we thought the players rated:
Fraser Forster – 6
The goalkeeper finished with a clean sheet, but in truth, he didn’t have to do a great deal of work to earn it. He made a few saves and dealt well with the aerial balls that came into his box. There was one nervy moment in the second half when he flapped at the ball, but it didn’t result in a goal.
Cedric Soares – 7
The Euro 2016 winner is enjoying playing with the freedom given to him in the new system at the club. He got forward often and his decision making was good, as he created several promising situations for his team.
Jose Fonte – 7
He gave a solid display on Sunday alongside Van Dijk. There weren’t many notable moments for Fonte and that is how he prefers to play. His contributions are not often noticed, but he is an integral part of this Southampton team.
Van Dijk – 8
The Dutchman dominated aerially winning seven of his eight duels in the air. He is confirming his place as one of the best centre backs in the league and his ability on the ball is a bonus. He launched several attacks from deep on Sunday and his passing stood out.
Ryan Bertrand – 8
His movement was excellent throughout and the first goal showed what the left back brings to the side in terms of attacking contribution. The new system places greater emphasis on the full backs pushing forward and that suits Bertrand perfectly.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 6
The former Bayern Munich player was good in possession and looked to play forward passes whenever possible. He is slowly adjusting to the league and came close to scoring from a powerful driven shot from distance. There is more to see from the talented midfielder.
Oriol Romeu – 6
His discipline is a concern as he picked up an early yellow and was on a short leash for the rest of the game. Although he isn’t as good as Victor Wanyama, he is growing into the role in front of the back four and broke up play effectively for the most part.
Steven Davis – 7
He was full of energy and was often seen bursting forwards to contribute to attacks. Davis was crucial in the third goal and didn’t stop running until the final whistle. Since joining Southampton, he has emerged as a very good Premier League midfielder and he is somewhat underrated.
Dusan Tadic – 9
After a slow start to the season, Dusan Tadic has started to move up the gears and it was an excellent attacking display against West Ham. His pass to play in Ryan Bertrand during the build-up for the first goal was excellent and his movement for his goal showed that he can be a goal threat as well as creating chances. On another day, he could have scored two as Adrian denied him early in the second half.
Charlie Austin – 8
Southampton have looked much better with Austin in the team as he provides a real focal point, unlike Shane Long. The former QPR man is more of a like-for-like replacement for Graziano Pelle and he is emerging as a key player for Claude Puel. His goal was well taken, while his link-up play for the second goal was excellent.
Nathan Redmond – 7
The attacker grew into the game and his pace caused a lot of problems for the West Ham defence. Although he didn’t get a goal or an assist, he was a major reason for the win and he will be hoping that he can perform at this level consistently.
Shane Long – 5
He caused problems with his pace after coming on, but didn’t manage to impact the game as he would have hoped. Austin has now moved ahead of him in the pecking order and the Irishman faces a tough task to get back into the first team.
James Ward-Prowse – 6
The academy graduate scored the final goal and looked bright after coming on. He has excellent technique and will be hoping to get more opportunities to prove himself in the coming weeks.
Cuco Martina – N/A
He wasn’t on the pitch long and didn’t get the opportunity to influence the match in any way.