The Hampshire-based club are yet to register their first victory of the new Premier League season, having lost one and drawn three of their four matches so far.
Southampton now have a trip to Premier League champions Manchester City coming up and former Saints captain Hammond is aware of the challenge that lies ahead.
Hammond admits that Manchester City have world class players in their ranks and Southampton will find the game difficult, but feels the match is a free hit for the visitors.
He also pointed out that Southampton dominated Manchester City for 20 minutes in their 5-2 defeat last term and suggested that Hasenhuttl and co can take confidence from that performance.
“It is going to be a difficult game, Manchester City are obviously a top, top team, they are the champions, they have got some world class players“, Hammond said on Southampton’s The Final Whistle podcast following the draw with West Ham.
“But, if you remember last year, we went to Etihad and for 20 minutes we dominated Man City, we pressed them, we were good in possession.
“As you have seen today [Saturday; ed.], we are a team that have kept a clean sheet and can stay within a game.
“They are going to have to defend very, very well, probably even better than like they did today, but I think in a game like Manchester City, or you are going to Chelsea or Manchester United, what you do is you really concentrate on the performance.
“If you can put a good performance in whether that’s defensively or attacking, that’s important and you can take confidence in that and if you can get a result, which is not expected, but you go into every game trying to win, honestly you do.
“As a player, you believe you can win any game, tactically you think you can match yourself, you want to test yourself against the best.
“The players will have some confidence from today [against West Ham], disappointment for them to not get three points, but they will go into the game thinking this is almost a free hit really, there is not too much pressure.“
While Southampton are winless in the Premier League so far, Manchester City go into the game on the back of a three-game winning run in the league.
