Premier League: West Ham 2 (Soucek 21, Vestergaard OG 43) Leicester City 0
It has been a midweek of Premier League certainties being secured at both top and bottom. Place Leicester in the certainty category. Defeat at West Ham extended Leicester’s doomed, zombified lurch towards relegation to 11 defeats in 12, 11 from 16 since Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper in November.
If Cooper was the wrong man at the wrong club then so is the Dutchman. Perhaps no manager had a chance with the squad Leicester assembled to attempt survival. Graham Potter, previously linked with Leicester, has meanwhile restored order to West Ham. Jarrod Bowen made things happen for both first-half goals, involved in the move for the first from Tomas Soucek, the second an own goal from Jannik Vestergaard the Hammers captain’s zest had enforced.
West Ham were unchanged from a famous win at Arsenal that had handed legitimacy to Potter’s regime. Van Nistelrooy, following Friday’s desperate defeat by Brentford had shuffled out three. James Justin and Jannik Vestergaard were supposed to add Premier League experience. Facundo Buonanotte has lately lost form having initially been a hit on loan from Brighton.
Much of Potter’s coaching reputation lies in improving players, if gradually. His has been a new-manager curve rather than bounce. A night that began with a tribute to the recently departed Ronnie Boyce, 1964 FA Cup final hero, took some time to catch alight.
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Leicester’s plan, as worked at Tottenham a month ago, but nowhere else besides, was to defend in numbers and hope Jamie Vardy could hold the line and win territory. Bilal El Khannouss, Buonanotte and Bobby De Cordova-Reid were licensed to join the throng.
Initially, West Ham’s main outlet appeared to be Aaron Wan-Bissaka, an improver under Potter lately repurposed as a galloping wing-back. Instead, if Soucek’s 22nd minute goal was created by anything it was Leicester’s complete and utter failure to clear their lines. Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, left unprotected, made a point-blank save from Mohamed Kudus and Soucek, played onside by a dozing Vestergaard, slotted in. Potter’s celebration was curtailed by a mistaken belief the Czech, on his 30th birthday, had been offside.
If that might have been expected to stimulate survival instincts within Leicester there were scant signs. Instead, previous patterns of play, lacking in ambition or forward thrust, continued. The quiet night air at the London Stadium was filled with away fans singing of past glories. Returning to the Premier League has been a disappointment for the club that tweaked the nose of the elite in relatively recent memory.
The Hammers, looking to win back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time in 12 months, dominated first-half possession but with not much penetration. Over to Leicester for another helping hand: the buzzy Bowen seized on a low James Ward-Prowse corner as Leicester defenders ball-watched, and his toe-poke bounced off the hapless Vestergaard for a two-goal, leisurely lead from a first half that ended with boos following Van Nistelrooy down the tunnel.
Could he inspire his team to play for their lives, their futures, their bank balances? A lack of genuine speed in the team, Vardy’s greyhound days long in the past, allowed West Ham comfort. Teenager Ollie Scarles had a shot blocked as Potter’s team, hardly operating at warp-speed themselves, probed at the opposition looking for counterattacks that rarely came.
Ironic cheers greeted a Leicester corner and Van Nistlelrooy made his first changes, sending on Harry Winks and Stephy Mavididi. The latter had a shot blocked as Leicester, at last, pushed onwards. If Hammers fans were awaiting another look at Evan Ferguson, a trio of changes that bolstered defence and midfield disappointed them. Potter was looking to lock down Leicester’s eventual edging into the game. Another facet of his reputation is that of the steadying hand.
Ferguson eventually arrived in the 73rd minute, his third appearance on loan. As Bowen broke away, the Republic of Ireland international awaited his chance, but deliberated far too long.
It will not be too long until Leicester and Van Nistelrooy are called time upon. – Guardian
