by Staff Writer
Thursday, 13th November 2025
West Ham United Women produced a dazzling performance under the lights at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, storming to a 5–0 victory over Southampton Women in the Subway Women’s League Cup.
It was the perfect response after a difficult run of form on a night when attacking composure, and teamwork finally came together!
After a quiet first half in which both sides struggled to create clear chances, the Hammers came alive after the break. The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute when Viviane Asseyi slotted home a perfect header to open the scoring and lift the energy inside the ground.
From that moment, West Ham were in complete control. Shekiera Martinez doubled the advantage in the 78th minute with a cool finish, before substitute Ffion Morgan made it 3–0 with a smart strike just six minutes later.
Asseyi then bagged her second of the evening in stoppage time, before Martinez wrapped things up with her own brace to complete a dominant five-star performance.
It was a statement win from Rehanne Skinner’s side, not only because of the scoreline, but the manner in which it was achieved. “ I’m delighted with the performance tonight," said Skinner, speaking after the game.
"I think it's definitely one that we've been waiting for, just the way that we were so clinical in front of goal. I think the quality of every goal was just so high as well at key moments.
"In the first half we did a lot of hard work to manage the game, to get ourselves in front in terms of the performance. And then the goals in the second half were outstanding."
Defensively, the first half could have been better but with a few changes the back line and goalkeeper Megan Walsh were dealing comfortably with the limited threat from Southampton. It was the kind of performance that reminded fans of what this side is capable of when everything clicks.
Viviane Asseyi was undoubtedly the star of the show, registering two goals and consistently troubling the Southampton defence with her pace and direct play. Martinez also impressed with her finishing, while Ffion Morgan made a brilliant impact off the bench, adding a goal and plenty of energy down the right.
It was also a solid outing from the defensive unit, who maintained focus and discipline throughout to secure a well-deserved clean sheet.
West Ham Utd: Walsh, Endo (Denton 46), Cemal (Zadorsky 82), Nyström (Martinez 60), Hanshaw, Belloumou, Houssein, Csiki, Brasero, Ueki (Asseyi 46), Paví (Morgan 76)
Unused subs: O'Hanlon, Siren, Tysiak, Gorry
Goals: Asseyi (64, 90+1), Martinez (78, 90+4), Morgan (84)
Booked: Asseyi
Southampton: Stenson, Mott, Akpan, Goddard, Brazil (McAlonie 46), Ferguson, Edwards (Collett 68), Hack, Primus (Bashford 46), Watts (Tucker 68), Palmer (Roberts 46)
Unused subs: Prout, Bourne, Peplow, Simpson
Player Ratings
Megan Walsh (7): Calm and composed in goal, dealt well with everything that came her way.
Yu Endo (6): Worked tirelessly up and down the flank, strong defensively and supported in attack.
Sarah Brassero (6): Comfortable in possession, assured performance in the back line.
Anna Csiki (6): Solid defensively, read the game well and maintained composure under pressure.
Verena Hanshaw (7): One of the standout defenders, made key tackles and helped build from deep.
Anouk Denton (7): Full of energy, provided overlapping runs and linked up nicely with the attack.
Inès Belloumou (6): Reliable and disciplined performance, contributed both defensively and in transition.
Riko Ueki (6): Lively in spells, linked play well though couldn’t find a goal herself.
Manuela Paví (6): Added freshness when introduced, helped maintain the attacking tempo.
Viviane Asseyi (8): Outstanding display with two well-taken goals and relentless attacking intent.
Shekiera Martinez (8): Composed finishing and clever movement throughout; a constant threat.
Ffion Morgan (sub) (7): Made an instant impact from the bench and took her goal superbly.
Eva Nyström (sub) (6): Provided defensive stability late on and saw out the clean sheet confidently.
* Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.