SAINTS again went down with a whimper in a massive game against Premier League relegation rivals, as West Ham snuck a headed goal to seal a 1-0 win.

Nayef Aguerd rose highest to nod the only score of the contest at London Stadium, which had an intensity of performance to match the hungover Sunday afternoon crowd in attendance.

The result means Saints have been beaten by Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Leeds United and now the Hammers in a match that pitted bottom-place versus 19th since the turn of 2023.

West Ham fly up the table to 14th and leave Saints three points adrift of safety, having played one game more than the rest of their competitors.

Saints manager Ruben Selles made two changes from his team that drew 3-3 with Tottenham Hotspur two weeks ago, as Duje Caleta-Car replaced the injured Armel Bella-Kotchap and Mohammed Salisu while Adams’s absence meant a rare league start for Sekou Mara.

Captain James Ward-Prowse lined up for his landmark 400th appearance for the club, while his former Saints teammate Danny Ings started for the home side.

The Winchester-born hitman’s name was met with boos from the travelling contingent on an afternoon that begun with a strange atmosphere.

West Ham were unbeaten at London Stadium in 2023 but the energy, after some unnecessarily loud blaring of power music through the stadium’s speakers – struggled to translate from the pitch to the stands, and there is a big distance between the two.

There was a lift as Duje Caleta-Car fouled Jarrod Bowen – the first of two in the first-half, which would later see the Croatian booked – near the centre line.

Thilo Kehrer whipped the ball in and among a crowd of four Saints defenders and a smattering of offside Hammers forwards, Aguerd headed unchallenged beyond Gavin Bazunu.

A four-minute VAR check ensued but the goal stood, although Romain Perraud – who has scored twice versus West Ham for Saints this season and last – nearly levelled up the other end.

The officials only added three minutes of time to the first period despite the four they took for the VAR check, and it took another 10 before Selles made some changes.

Sticking with his starting XI throughout the break, he quickly opted for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Charly Alcaraz to provide some penetration from the bench.

Both had speculative efforts but could not trouble Lukasz Fabianski so Selles called for two more changes. Paul Onuachu came on and with him Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who had gone from centre-back last time out to right-wing.

It was instead Bazunu called into action next, flying to his right to stop well struck free-kick from Said Benrahma. Onuachu did hit the crossbar with a header from a cross, but that was as close as it came.

Paul Tierney called time on another dismal afternoon for the bottom-place side after three minutes of added time.

West Ham: Fabianski; Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson (Cresswell, 88); Rice, Soucek (Downes, 67), Bowen, Paqueta (Fornals, 88), Benrahma; Ings (Antonio, 65).

Unused subs: Coufal, Lanzini, Cornet, Ogbonna, Areola (g/k).

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Caleta-Car, Bednarek, Perraud; Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Elyounoussi (Alcaraz, 54) S Armstrong (Maitland-Niles, 70); Walcott (Onuachu, 70), Mara (Kamaldeen, 54).

Unused subs: Lyanco, Aribo, Diallo, Orsic, McCarthy (g/k).

Booked: Caleta-Car, Bednarek.

Referee: Paul Tierney.