Carabao CupSouthampton 1-4 West Ham United
Tuesday, 25th August 2026
by Chris Wilkerson | Forum match thread
It appeared to some that Nuno Espirito Santo may not have been taking the League Cup seriously as a young West Ham side with seven academy products and five teenagers started for The Hammers away at Southampton this Tuesday evening.
But after conceding early, the kids proved themselves of strong stuff, fighting back to take the lead before the cavalry arrived late in to secure a 4-1 victory and move West Ham into the third round.In a great night for the famed academy, eight products of the youth system started the game, with Divin Mubama making his first start on loan at Southampton rounding off the numbers. And it was one of those youngsters who was the Hammers' hero, Josh Ajala scoring his first and second senior goals on his first start for the club. Castellanos and Bowen added a third and fourth late on.
Ajala was joined in a youthful side by Fin Herrick in goal, Areola pulling out injured after he was planned to start, with Airidas Golambeckis and Divine Mukasa making their first starts for the club, whilst Ezra Mayers, Lewis Orford and Mo Kante rounded off the graduates starting this game in a team that had an average age of 22-and-a-half years old.
Meanwhile Max Kilman took the captain's armband, with the experience in the side coming from him and two recent signings in Joel Veltman, on his first start himself, and namesake Joel Piroe.
They settled well, passing the ball around nicely in the early stages and looked completely comfortable on the same stage as an experienced Southampton team. Notably, Jack Stephens captained the side, a player who has made more appearances for Southampton than the whole of this West Ham side had made for the club by around 100 games.
But after that good start, they still found the same problems that have blighted the team as they conceded an early goal in the 10th minute. It was a wonderful solo goal by the home side's best player, Leo Scienza using his pace and low centre of gravity to great effect as he collected a headed clearance by Kilman at the top corner of the box.
Cutting across from the left, he feigned to shoot but kept going until he was past the other post, before guiding a shot back across goal that caught Herrick moving the opposite way and nestled into the corner past his right hand to give Southampton the lead.
Lamadrid had a shot from 20 yards and Kilman headed wide, before Piroe forced the first save on 21 minutes, holding off Stephens then dancing between the defenders before a low shot on his weaker right was saved well by the goalkeeper. He made an opening for himself a moment later, driving low at goal with his left from the edge of the box, but it was an easy save.
These were good signs for West Ham, showing themselves capable of brushing off their disappointment to keep playing to their game plan. The pace of Scienza was the main threat at the other end, with Mubama marshalled well all game by Golambeckis at the back.
But with the half nearing its end, a good counter attack was snuffed out by some smart Southampton defending, and West Ham used the corner to get themselves back into the game. Orford curled the corner in at goal, and it floated high to the back post before taking a dip and curl as it dropped, leaving the goalkeeper floundering as he dived out and missed his punch.
That was perfect for the man waiting behind him. It likely was not the way Ajala expected to score his first West Ham goal, but the diminutive forward rose to nod home a header from a few yards out and into the empty net to get his side level. The 19-year-old could hardly have dreamed of a better moment on his first senior start for the club.
It looked certain to take the clubs in level at the break, but had the referee spotted a blatant foul 10 yards in front of him, The Hammers would have had a penalty and a chance to extend their lead right on half time.
The foul was not just simple, but very clear. Piroe held the ball up and ran towards goal, looking for support. In the box, he attempted to turn, and Stephens dragged a leg under him that clipped both his feet and sent the forward to the ground. There was really no debate that it was a foul, so the referee and his assistant must have somehow missed it.
Frustration with that aside, it was a great end to the half and one that not only had The Hammers back level, but with great momentum going into the second 45.
They started well, Lamadrid buzzing off the right wing and delivering a cross that eventually fell to Mukasa, only for the young loanee to have his shot blocked. The away side continued to play neat and tidy football, arguably more comfortably than the first team players ahead of them.
It is an interesting difference in attitude on show when comparing the youth to the experienced players. The younger sides play this way through the age grades, and have gotten used to taking the game to opponents. Many of these players have won honours with the academy sides, and their confidence playing this way was clear. This looked the blueprint for their senior colleagues to follow as they attempt to shed the counter-attacking football they have been so used to playing in season after season of battling Premier League struggles.
West Ham were the better side, as they had been for much of the first half, and they were soon rewarded. This time, patient build-up was suddenly pushed into gear by Piroe, who dropped deep to receive from Orford and played an instant pass on the turn to flip it round the corner for Mukasa down the left of the area.
He drilled across goal, and when his cross was intercepted and cleared to the edge of the box, the fast reactions of Ajala once again made all the difference.
He beat two to the ball, prodding it into the box, five yards ahead of him. It mattered little, the youngster onto it in a flash to beat two Saints defenders to the ball, rushing to it and hitting straight away, passing with power across the goal and beating the forlorn goalkeeper down to his left, the ball drilling into the corner to give Ajala his second and put West Ham into the lead with 35 minutes still to play.
A double on his first start will keep Ajala's name on the fans lips, and could well be enough to convince his manager that the chequebook can open for other areas of the pitch. With two goals against one of The Championship's stronger teams, Ajala could have just proven his worth as an option this season.
A few minutes of comfort and joy was enough, and Herrick was ready to ensure everyone was paying full attention, maybe bored by how well his team was doing. After the Southampton goalkeeper cleared long, the young Hammers goalkeeper came sprinting out of his goal as the ball sailed over the high line of his defence and tried to bring it down.
But his chest control wasn't quite as good as he believed it to be, cannoning off him to Mubama just inside the West Ham half, rather than dropping to his feet as he no doubt expected. Luckily for him, his former teammate felt no need to punish the error, fumbling the opportunity by immediately gifting possession back to the defence.
With the lead now West Ham's, Nuno reacted with positive changes, looking to stretch the Saints and assert their dominance to see out the game. Bowen, Solomon, Castellanos and Engels came on, just shy of the hour mark, replacing Lamadrid, Ajala, Piroe and Kante.
They got to the pace of things immediately, injecting fresh energy as all four looked to keep the team pushing forward. Castellanos quickly had a shot deflected wide and it looked like The Hammers were going to attack with a lead, rather than defend the game through.
Bowen got a sighter in, forcing a good save with a stinging shot hammered across goal, but it was the Argentine striker celebrating a minute later.
After calm and patient possession, Golambeckis went long down the right, seeing Veltman springing beyond his man. The right back used just enough strength to stop the defender climbing to head away the pass, and was then free down the right side of the area.
He was composed to head to the byline and cut it back to Castellanos making a run to the six-yard-box, the striker passing it home at the near post to surely secure his side's passage to round three with just 15 minutes left to play.
Bowen finished the job with a little over five minutes remaining, scoring the classic Jarrod Bowen goal. Engels started it off, a smart forward pass from deep that allowed Mukasa to turn. The youngster did very well, getting forward quickly and beating a man inside his own half to carry his side up the pitch.
A layoff to Orford in the Southampton half was quickly given to Bowen in a perfect position, right on the top corner of the box as the captain cut in from the right wing. He carried it across the edge of the area to the middle of goal and then drilled it low to the far corner, smashing it around a defender and beating the goalkeeper with power and placement to score his second in the cup this season, giving his side a convincing win down on the south coast.
With worries around how this team has started the league season, this game was the tonic everyone needed. Positive, powerful and clearly a class above, Nuno gave his young players a chance to shine, changed his system to something closer to a 4-2-3-1 and kept the side on the front foot throughout.
There's still a week to go in this transfer window, but the displays on offer by this young West Ham side may be enough to convince the fans that the squad still has enough in reserve. They will hope this win gives their manager food for thought, too.
The doom and gloom can lift for the rest of the week. Whilst a season in the Championship is a long slog, the constant flow of football gives you quick opportunities to banish bad performances. A morale lifting win like this could prove incredibly valuable.
Manager's Rating
Nuno Espirito Santo: 10/10 He needed positivity around him and he couldn't have done better with this game. Showed faith in the young lads, and the team performance was excellent. Nice shift in shape to get more from Mukasa and Kante, and his substitutions were positive and carried them team forward to extend their lead. But left his squad well rested and into the next round, the perfect outcome.
Want to submit your match reports to KUMB.com? More details here ...
Click to view all West Ham United vs Southampton match reports Click to view all match reports by Chris Wilkerson Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.Player Ratings
Click on any player's name to view their full KUMB bio, including all historical match notes and ratings/10.Finlay Herrick
All the makings of a top-flight goalkeeper, at least in as much as he's clearly got a bit of a screw loose. Don't all the best? A mad 40-yard run from goal to try chest a clearance down was the highlight. Generally secure, punched well and recovered from one fumbled save. He just seems to have the nerve and attitude of a player who will go on to big things.
Joël Veltman
Defended reasonably well, although struggled at times with both Edozie and Scienza running at him, passed well, and got forward very well for a really good assist.
Ezra Mayers
Defended well, didn't really get forward to notable effect. With Diouf seemingly on the way out, Mayers becomes the reserve left back, and is probably a slightly better defender than Scarles. He has more pace, too, so it will be whether he can impress in attack that will determine if he can jump ahead of Scarles.
Airidas Golambeckis
Composed and assured, this was a comfortable debut against a side that didn't test West Ham's defence greatly. As a unit, the first goal will disappoint them, but it was a great run and near-perfect finish.
Max Kilman
Gets a little extra credit for being the only established West Ham player in that side. Piroe and Veltman have experience, but are new to the club. Kilman took the armband and saw his team recover well from going behind and look confident and assured throughout. With teenagers either side of him, Kilman led a defence that looked strong and disciplined.
Mohamadou Kante
Showed much more discipline today than in recent appearances. He seemed better in the role with a player like Mukasa ahead of him, someone playing more as a midfielder than a striker. He picked his moments to go forward but didn't have to force it, and defended well.
Lewis Orford
Very assured in the middle. He's started the season very well, and now has basically demanded regular minutes across the rest of the year with his displays. This could be the making of a player spoken about as a potential international of the future.
Keiber Lamadrid
Dovetailed well with Mukasa to occasionally swap positions. Looked comfortable without making a real impact.
Divine Mukasa
He's shown in the two appearances since returning to the club on loan that he's got the ability and the physical strength for this level. Can ride challenges, looks forward often, and has composure on the ball and around the box. Far more than just a signing to pad the squad.
Josh Ajala
What a fantastic performance on his first senior start. Took both goals excellently, with composure that suggests he will score more. The acceleration to get on the second goal was electric, and the kind of speed this team is missing. Turned the game around.
Joel Piroe
Still getting sharper, but he showed himself capable of leading the line alone. The swivel pass that got Mukasa free on the first goal was excellent striker play, and he should have been awarded a penalty moments after. Encouraging signs in his first two games.
Substitutes
Jarrod Bowen(Lamadrid 59') Came on with a real desire to ensure his side stayed positive and kept driving forward. There were more goals on offer, and they got two in his cameo, the last goal such a typical Bowen goal.
Taty Castellanos
(Piroe 59') Came on with energy and enthusiasm, something some fans have said he is lacking this season. Took his goal well and celebrated amongst the away fans, which will do wonders for the support and vibe around him.
Manor Solomon
(Ajala 59') A nice start with clever feet and a driving run, but reasonably quiet thereafter.
Arne Engels
(Kante 59') A simple but effective display, the pass forward on the last goal is nothing major but a sign of a player who sees good passes even in deep positions. West Ham will need to make space against their opponents this year, which will be easier with sharp and early forward passes.
Kaelan Casey
(Mukasa 87') Made it NINE academy grads on the pitch overall.
Mads Hermansen
Did not play.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Did not play.
Ollie Scarles
Did not play.
Soungoutou Magassa
Did not play.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Finlay Herrick, Joël Veltman , Ezra Mayers, Airidas Golambeckis, Max Kilman, Mohamadou Kante, Lewis Orford, Keiber Lamadrid, Divine Mukasa, Josh Ajala, Joel Piroe.Goals: Josh Ajala 41 Josh Ajala 53 Taty Castellanos 75 Jarrod Bowen 84 .
Booked: None booked. .
Sent Off: None sent off. .
Southampton: Peretz, Bree, Wood, Stephens (c), Welington, Bragg (Downes 60), Akachukwu (Azaz 66), Fellows (Matsuki 60), Dobbin (Larin 80), Scienza (Edozie 60), Mubama.
Subs not used: Long, Manning, Quarshie, Archer.
Goals: Scienza (10).
Booked: Bragg, Scienza.
Sent off: None.
Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo.
Attendance: 15,867.
Man of the Match: Josh Ajala.