Kuryu Matsuki scored just two minutes into the match on Saturday, helping Southampton secure a 3-2 victory against West Ham United in the English Championship. The early strike set the tone at the London Stadium as Southampton handed the hosts their first defeat in ten league matches.
Matsuki’s Early Strike Breaks West Ham Unbeaten Run
Southampton entered the fixture in eighth place following a scoreless draw against Bolton Wanderers, while West Ham sat second in the standings with a nine-match unbeaten league run. That momentum stalled immediately when Leo Scienza drove down the left wing in the second minute and entered the penalty area. Scienza fired a shot that West Ham’s goalkeeper blocked, but Matsuki reacted quickest to the rebound. Controlling the ball smoothly inside the box, the midfielder slotted his shot into the bottom left corner to register his third league goal of the campaign.
🚨 Kuryu Matsuki left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.🏴 West Ham 0-1 Southampton https://t.co/fdSOlLMRYF
The visiting side capitalized further in the 11th minute. Kasper Jander delivered a cross from the left flank, and goalkeeper Hermansen pushed the ball directly into the path of James Bree. Bree struck a powerful volley into the top right corner to double the advantage.
Trading Goals Before Halftime
Following a sequence of shots, forward Romaine Mundle’s teammate Lewis Dobin collected the loose ball and bundled it across the line to make it 3-1 before the interval.
Matsuki departed the pitch in the 73rd minute, replaced by Wellington. As West Ham mounted pressure in the closing stages, Tomas Soucek found the net from the edge of the area in the 90th and third minute of stoppage time to narrow the scoreline to 3-2. West Ham nearly equalized in the dying moments from a cross, but goalkeeper Perez produced a decisive save to preserve the narrow lead.
Standings Movement After the Final Whistle
The 3-2 away victory lifts Southampton into sixth place in the Championship table, thrusting the club deeper into the promotion race. West Ham remains near the upper tier of the division despite the loss, which snapped their lengthy undefeated streak.
🇯🇵🥶 Kuryu Matsuki (23) after scoring for Southampton. ✨ pic.twitter.com/u2kwuriNZG
