Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that Southampton will not allow West Ham United to turn their Premier League clash this weekend into a physical battle.

The Saints welcome the Hammers to St Mary's on Sunday and manager Pochettino has claimed that the Londoners prefer to utilise their physical strengths by playing a direct style.

However, he has stressed that Southampton will not alter their own approach to the game to combat Sam Allardyce's methods.

"From the three games we have seen, we can tell they are a physically strong team," Pochettino told reporters. "They play a very simple but very direct type of football. It is very effective for them.

"They have very good players and play in a very determined or particular way. That suits them so we need to prepare to suffer in certain moments of the game against them.

"But, like I always say, what we will always try to do is impose the way that we play and try to match them strength for strength."

Southampton have picked up four points from their opening three matches of the season.