Stelling baffled by what Soler did in Southampton v West Ham, ‘Goodness me’
Jeff Stelling and Tim Sherwood could not believe their eyes as Carlos Soler hit the crossbar from short range as West Ham beat Southampton 1-0 on Thursday.
The Spaniard had the perfect opportunity to give Julen Lopetegui’s side an early lead after just five minutes, seeing his effort rebound off the crossbar on 26 December.
Soler has impressed in East London since arriving on loan, with the Hammers debating whether to make the move permanent [Sunday Mirror], and that decision could have been made for them had he buried the opening goal.
Speaking live via Amazon Prime [26 December, 3:04pm], Stelling said: “Goodness me, Tim?”
Sherwood replied: “He comes onto the comeback and he has to score. He’s coming onto it, sidefoots it, and it’s a poor miss. It’s a let-off for Southampton. That’s an easy chance.”
Carlos Soler misses incredible chance in Southampton v West Ham United
Much of what has gone right at the London Stadium recently has come through Soler, even with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus in the squad.
The Hammers certainly missed him during the 1-1 draw with Brighton, having served a one-game suspension after picking up his fifth caution of the season against Bournemouth.
He had the chance to provide more positivity and return to the starting XI with a bang, but somehow, he missed from just a few inches out and smashed his effort against the woodwork.
The Saints clearly took inspiration from that early let-off, making multiple key chances, but Lukasz Fabianski continued his recent good form to thwart their efforts at St Mary’s Stadium.
Injuries to Max Kilman and Fabianski threw shade over the result, however, especially the latter’s after a clash of heads in the opening 45 minutes.
In other West Ham news, a Hammers gem likened to Declan Rice could seal a “much-needed” loan in January.
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