Leicester City Welcomes New Era with Thrilling Win Over West Ham
Ruud van Nistelrooy debuted as Leicester City manager with a resounding 3-1 victory over West Ham at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday. This crucial win lifted Leicester four points clear of the relegation zone, snapping a six-game winless streak.
The Foxes got off to a dream start when Jamie Vardy, a veteran striker, fired them ahead in the second minute. The goal was initially ruled offside, but after a four-minute VAR review, the celebrations erupted.
"This is tight! The defender’s back foot may just have played him on. Goal! Four minutes later, they can celebrate," exclaimed Tim Sherwood, analyzing the match for Soccer Special.
West Ham, determined to bounce back, responded valiantly. Danny Ings, one of five changes made by manager Julen Lopetegui, nearly equalized with a header that struck the woodwork after a deflection.
Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen stood as a wall, denying West Ham five times in the first half and ensuring the Foxes maintained their lead going into the break.
Leicester increased their advantage after halftime. Just moments after West Ham seemingly found an equalizer, only to have it disallowed for a foul off the ball, Bilal El Khannouss doubled Leicester’s lead.
Another setback followed for West Ham. Tomas Soucek was deemed to have impeded Hermansen in the penalty area, negating a potential equalizer.
Leicester sealed the win in stoppage time as Patson Daka tapped in a third goal, rounding off a spirited display for the new boss.
Concerns Mount for Lopetegui
Despite a dominant display in terms of shots with 31 attempts – their highest ever in a Premier League match since records began in 2005-06 – West Ham were exposed at the back. This marked the most shots by a losing Premier League team on the road since November 2010 when Chelsea racked up 32 attempts against Birmingham City.
The defeat put further pressure on Lopetegui, whose team sits firmly within the relegation battle.
"Leicester had better players on the bench than they did on the pitch," Sherwood observed. "And I cannot believe how they set up defensively on the halfway line. It just made no sense.
"It was poor from West Ham but give Leicester credit. Personally, I think this is the beginning of the end for Lopetegui. You cannot capitulate like this," he added.
Lopetegui maintained a defiant tone after the defeat, highlighting the team’s numerous chances.
"It’s a frustrating night as we deserved much more. Playing football is not easy," Lopetegui stated. "We had 31 shots in the oppositions box, normally you have to win this match. We had many chances but did not score. Tomorrow we will start looking for the next challenge, knowing we are able to change the situation.
He added, "They want to win for them, for me and for the club. Football is about the win. Today is a day where we deserved much more. The next will be the most important, we must be focused."
Van Nistelrooy, brimming with pride after his triumphant debut, focused on the team’s performance and future potential.
"I think first and foremost we need to get some performance with energy, togetherness and spirit to get a connection with the crowd and I think they did that,” said the former Manchester United forward.
"The foundation for us going forward is everybody working their socks off, fighting for every inch, everybody tackling and fighting for each other from there on we can look further. They did that in an unbelievable way,” he added.
While Leicester City bask in a confidence-boosting victory, West Ham must address their ongoing struggles before facing Lopetegui’s former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, next Monday in a crucial clash.
