Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles thinks Southampton need to be braver after their draw against West Ham United this weekend.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles was back in the Southampton starting lineup against West Ham United on Sunday, following his absence from the team in the heavy defeat to Manchester City the previous weekend.

Southampton initially took the lead, and they had all the best chances in the first half with seven shots on target to West Ham’s zero.

But the Saints surrendered dominance to the away side in the second half, allowing 15 shots and four on target whilst only having two (one on target) of their own.

Eventually, the Hammers made that pressure pay, scoring through Declan Rice in the 64th minute. Southampton had to settle for a draw, and the expected goals stats – Southampton 0.45 vs West Ham 1.68 – suggested they were lucky to even get a point.

Maitland-Niles thinks Southampton invited that pressure on themselves by not being braver.

“Both teams had a lot of chances,” Maitland-Niles began. “We didn’t take ours after our goal, or before it, which was frustrating.

“After we scored we stepped off the pace, let them have the ball, which is not what we wanted to do.

“We’ve got to go for more goals and be brave off the ball, on the ball. Press the teams, try and play good football when we have the ball, and try and create more chances.

“There’s a lot of character in that dressing room, and we showed that today. Every one of us, even those on the bench, they were all together fighting for that last ball. But it shouldn’t get to that point.

“We have to stop it from getting to that point by going one up, two up, and securing the game.”

Southampton play a south-coast derby match against Bournemouth on Wednesday, and Maitland-Niles will hope to play a large part of that game, as he’ll be ineligible for the next one against Arsenal.