Manuel Lanzini says the West Ham United squad is fully focused on putting on a big performance and claiming three points against Southampton.
The Irons return from the first international break of 2023 to play the Saints who, while bottom of the Premier League, are only one point adrift David Moyes' men in 18th and only four behind Crystal Palace in 12th.
Such are the narrow margins between the bottom nine teams in the Premier League that victory for either West Ham or Southampton on Sunday could move the winners well out of the relegation zone.
As the first-team internationals return to training at Rush Green, Lanzini believes the squad’s collective vision is fixed firmly on Sunday’s match at London Stadium.
“Training in the last couple of weeks has been really good,” the No10 told whufc.com “Of course, we haven’t had all the team because of players being away with their countries, but those of us that have been here have been training hard and training well.
“Everyone’s focus has been on the next game, which is Southampton.”
Lanzini has played against Southampton eight times in his West Ham career, and been on the winning side in three of those matches.
Under the guidance of new manager Rubén Sellés, the Saints defeated Leicester City and picked up creditable points in draws against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks.
“I know Southampton well,” Lanzini continued. “We’ve played against them a lot in the last few years and I know it’s going to be a hard game.
“They have a new manager and have had a bit of a bounce in their results, so they’ll be up for this match too. They are a good team with good players, but we can only focus on ourselves. We need to worry about what we need to do in order to get the win.”
As the Hammers prepare for a return to London Stadium – the first of two consecutive home Premier League clashes for a side unbeaten at home in five games in 2023 – Lanzini knows just how vital the Claret and Blue Army will be to success against Southampton.
“It’s going to be a massive match and we’ll need the fans there, right with us,” he added. “Having them right behind us at London Stadium is like having an extra player.
“When they are right there with us, it can make the game a bit easier. Of course, no game in the Premier League is easy. We know it’s going to be a tough game but we need the win, the three points, to move up the table.”
