Felipe at double as Hammers hit top 10
Felipe Anderson’s sixminute brace sunk Southampton 2-1 and dragged West Ham into the Premier League’s top 10.
The Brazil playmaker’s quick-fire double cancelled out Nathan Redmond’s scrambled goalmouth finish as the Hammers battled hard for victory at St Mary’s.
If Anderson’s angled drive for his first looked tidy, his imperious matchwinning finish to cap a twopass counter-attack blitz proved very easy on the eye.
The accomplished 25-year-old now has eight goals and two assists for the Premier League season: amid the post-Christmas malaise his was a performance of unrivalled poise and precision.
Ralph Hasenhuttl tasted defeat for the first time as Southampton manager, his manful Saints unable to string together three league wins.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini will have been delighted to tiptoe home with all three points, especially given his injury-hit squad was so threadbare he could only fill six of the seven substitute berths.
Redmond bundled home the opening goal in bizarre fashion after the break, with Fabianski denying Oriol Romeu twice and Redmond once before the ex-Norwich man finally ground the ball across the line.
The Hammers jumped straight on the attack, and Anderson thumped in the equaliser after Maya Yoshida’s poor clearing header.
Saints’ bid for an immediate riposte bit hard, as West Ham struck again on a lightning counter.
From a corner, Diop set Antonio free, and he in turn chipped through for Anderson.
The Brazilian collected, raced on and finished in style for a goal of high class.