Leicester City’s Survival Hopes Dented by West Ham Defeat
Leicester City’s battle to stay in the Premier League suffered another setback as they endured a 2-0 loss against West Ham on Thursday.
Goals from Tomas Soucek and an unfortunate own-goal by Jannik Vestergaard secured a second consecutive win for the Hammers. Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side now finds itself five points away from safety with only 11 games remaining in the season.
Promising Start Fades for Leicester
Leicester had a chance to reduce the gap to just two points with a victory and began the game brightly. Wilfred Ndidi tested West Ham’s goalkeeper with a shot in the second minute, setting an early tone. However, their positive start was undone after West Ham found the breakthrough.
Soucek, celebrating his 30th birthday, capitalized on a loose ball following a blocked shot by Mohammed Kudus, giving the hosts the lead. The Foxes nearly responded when Jamie Vardy struck the woodwork from a corner, but soon after, their woes deepened. Jarrod Bowen’s effort from a tight angle took a deflection off Vestergaard and found the net, doubling West Ham’s advantage before halftime.
Leicester’s Attacking Struggles Continue
After the break, the visitors struggled to create clear-cut chances, extending their run of Premier League matches without a goal to four.
Van Nistelrooy Remains Determined
Leicester’s lack of goals remains a pressing issue, and their slump continues:
- They have suffered defeat in 11 of their last 12 league games.
- Leicester has conceded the most own-goals in the league this season (three), tying with West Ham and Wolves.
- Van Nistelrooy has collected only seven points in 14 matches, three fewer than his predecessor Steve Cooper managed in 12.
Despite these challenges, Van Nistelrooy remains hopeful.
“We will keep fighting. Mathematically, we still have a chance, and we will push until the very end,” he stated.
Difficult Fixtures Ahead
With the season nearing its conclusion, Leicester must quickly reverse their fortunes. Their upcoming fixtures, however, pose a significant challenge, as they face Chelsea and Manchester City away, along with tough home matches against Manchester United and Newcastle.
Defender Wout Faes maintains confidence in the team’s ability to survive.
“We have to believe. We need to take it one game at a time and start picking up wins,” he emphasized.
However, former Leicester midfielder Neil Lennon and ex-Chelsea forward Joe Cole were less optimistic about their survival chances.
“It’s difficult to see them turning things around,” Lennon commented on TNT Sports.
“I think they’re already relegated,” Cole added.
While West Ham’s victory moves them up to 15th, level on points with Tottenham and Manchester United, Leicester faces an increasingly uphill battle to remain in the top flight.
