West Ham vs Leicester Report

Scorers: Soucek 21’, Vestergaard (OG) 43’

West Ham United earned a routine 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Leicester City at the London Stadium, claiming their first head-to-head victory over the Foxes since August 2021.

The defeat piles more pressure on Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has now overseen 11 losses in his last 12 Premier League matches.

Souček Capitalises on Leicester’s Defensive Frailties

Leicester arrived in East London with the second-worst defensive record in the league, and it was no surprise when their vulnerabilities were exploited just past the 20-minute mark.

West Ham’s opener came via Tomáš Souček, who was quickest to react after Mads Hermansen initially denied Mohammed Kudus.

Despite the Leicester goalkeeper’s best efforts to keep the Ghanaian’s shot out, none of the Foxes defenders responded fast enough to prevent Souček from tapping in the rebound.

Despite their early lead, West Ham remained in control without exerting too much energy, keeping a passive Leicester side at bay.

The hosts doubled their advantage in the closing stages of the first half when Jarrod Bowen’s strike from a tight angle took a crucial deflection off Jannik Vestergaard, turning the ball into his own net and leaving Van Nistelrooy with a daunting halftime team talk.

Leicester’s Attacking Intent Falls Flat

Despite his side’s dire situation, Van Nistelrooy opted against making immediate changes at halftime, waiting until the 61st minute to introduce Harry Winks and Stephy Mavididi.

The substitutions injected some energy into the visitors’ attack, with Vestergaard forcing a routine save from Alphonse Areola with a goalbound header—one of Leicester’s few moments of promise.

However, West Ham’s defensive resilience ensured that Areola was rarely troubled, allowing the hosts to see out the contest with ease.

The Hammers secured back-to-back clean sheets and consecutive league victories for the first time since March, moving up to 15th in the table. Meanwhile, Leicester remain mired in deep relegation trouble, sitting five points adrift of safety with their confidence in tatters.

Final Thoughts

• West Ham: Graham Potter’s side looks increasingly solid, with two straight wins and clean sheets suggesting they are rediscovering form. While still in the bottom half, they are building momentum to ensure a stress-free end to the campaign.
• Leicester: The Foxes’ alarming run of form continues, and with just one win in their last 12 matches, relegation looks like a real possibility. Van Nistelrooy faces a huge task to turn things around, with his team struggling in both defence and attack.

With the pressure mounting on Van Nistelrooy, Leicester must find a way to halt their slump quickly, or their return to the Championship may soon become inevitable.

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West Ham v Leicester, 2024/25 | Premier League