West Ham United hosts Southampton FC on Championship Sunday in a match-up of two sides that have spent much of the season higher up in the table than anyone expected.

The Hammers were in the top four race up until just a couple of weeks ago while Saints were actually top of the table in November and in the top four discussion after New Year’s. Not bad for a couple of teams that were just happy to stay up in the Premier League last season. Let’s preview!

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West Ham United hosts Southampton FC on Championship Sunday in a match that will see the Hammers focusing on trying to clinch Europa League qualification.

A result against the lower table south coast club means that the Irons can avoid Europa Conference League and go to the second tier continental competition instead of the third tier tourney. That’s a huge win considering where they finished last season, when manager David Moyes was just happy to keep his side up in the Premiership.

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Entering this weekend, it was thought that the two FA Cup semifinal matchups represented a main event and an undercard, a varsity and a junior varsity affair. It was a natural analogy, as today’s semifinal showdown saw Chelsea best Manchester City 1-0 in a matchup of two enormously powerful clubs run by obscenely wealthy people.

Meanwhile Sunday’s clash sees two non-big six clubs collide, in an affair that could prove to be just as hotly contested.

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Earlier today, Chelsea ended Manchester City’s hopes of achieving an unprecedented quadruple. The Blues bounced City from the FA Cup semifinals, and that means they’ll meet the winner of tomorrow’s Leicester City and Southampton clash, the tournament’s other semifinal match-up.

So here is everything you need to know in previewing this match-up in two posts, here’s part one.

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