West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic labelled his side’s 2-1 win over Southampton on Monday as massive after the Hammers came from behind the claim their first win in nine games.

Five consecutive draws in the Premier League had preceded victory over the Saints, which was secured thanks to two goals in ten minutes from Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll.

Ronald Koeman’s side, themselves struggling after just one win in seven, went in front thanks to a 13th-minute own goal from Carl Jenkinson.

But in the 69th minute the Hammers drew level when Southampton attempted to clear, the ball instead deflecting off of the prone Antonio and looping over Artur Boruc in the visitors' goal.

Ten minutes later Carroll nodded home his second league goal of the season as the south coast outfit again failed to clear their lines.

Speaking to the club's website, a delighted Bilic said: "It's three massive points for us.

"We needed it and now we can talk about a positive run because we are six unbeaten and we ended up with a win.

"Otherwise it would be eight without a win and it's not spinning words, it's fact. It's really good, considering everything that happened in the first half."

The Croatian continued: "We showed a change in character, a change in determination and a change in attitude.

"To be fair they could have been two up at half time, but they weren't, and nobody can say we didn't deserve it in the end.

"We deserved it with the hard work, the approach and, at the end of the day, the quality we showed in the second half.

"We turned the game around which is very difficult to do in the Premier League and it's great for belief.

"It's great for the players who came back and it's good motivation because we are expecting even more players to come back.

"It's a really good night for West Ham fans and I'm especially pleased for them as they were the ones who lifted us in the second half. They were behind us and we felt that."

Co-chairman David Sullivan revealed Antonio could have left Upton Park on loan but the Hammers turned down the advances of other clubs.

He said: "He’s a great member of our team and our squad and it shows why the manager would not loan him out when six Championship clubs came in for him before the loan window shut four or five weeks ago.

"And thank goodness we didn’t as we need him."