Leicester City vs West Ham United
Date: 03/10/2020
K/O: 12:00
Venue: King Power Stadium
Referee: Andy Madley
TV: BT Sport 1
An ascendant Leicester City host a West Ham side, who picked up their first win of the season last weekend, for a tasty Sunday lunchtime fixture.
Both teams come into this weekend after emphatic victories in their previous outings. The Hammers trounced Wolves, to the tune of 4-0, at home. While Leicester City made a mockery of Manchester City, at the Etihad, winning 5-2.
A win in matchweek four would make it an unprecedented four wins the Foxes’ first four games, keeping them firmly top of the table. Meanwhile, West Ham will be searching for points to lift them into the top half of the table after a turbulent introduction to the season was steadied slightly last week.
Leicester City looking to beat the odds again?
In the lead up to a new season, there is always the same routines and repetitive customs including, of course, the pre-season predictions and previews. This year was no different, but Leicester fans would have been surprised to see that most journalists took a very pessimistic evaluation of the Foxes outlook. The general consensus was that they were irrelevant in the top 4 race and may even straggle to the lower parts of the top 10.
In hindsight, it is worth remembering that Leicester are a team full of youngsters who, having only played under Rodgers for less than a year and a half, would be full of enthusiasm and would endeavour to push on and improve regardless of how last season ended.
But the Foxes, who have shown already that they should never be counted out (5000/1 is a number that needs no further explanation), have come into this season looking better than ever. Their opening day win against West Brom was assured; an easy introduction to the campaign for such a talented side. While their win against Burnley was hard fought and well-earned. But their demolition of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, becoming the first side to ever score five goals against a Guardiola team, emphasised the ferocity of Leicester’s threat.
Last season they failed to beat any of the teams that finished above them in the League; they’ve done that within three games this time out. Their goal-scoring prowess has been their barometer for success this season, scoring the most goals any Premier league side has managed in the first three games of a season since Manchester United managed more in their ballistic start to the 2011/12 campaign.
Leicester are showing they have the style, the energy, and the tact needed for a top-four finish – but their biggest strengths seem to be in their players. Brendan Rodgers talked recently about how Leicester’s transfer strategy now included tempting ‘broken players’ to the King Power Stadium. The targets included young players who had shown great potential but had lost their confidence or fallen foul of injuries.
Leicester have already had success with this strategy in the form of Youri Tielemans who, while trailing off slightly last term, has come into the new season showcasing his immense ability to read the game. But it has also started to happen within the existing squad.
Kelechi Iheanacho had a dire time under Claude Puel, but has since bloomed again into a genuine goal-scoring threat with 10 goals in all competitions in 19/20. Nampalys Mendy and Daniel Amartey are more recent examples, both having a fantastic performance against Manchester City.
The loan signing of Cengiz Under encapsulates this perfectly: a player who has shown glimmers of brilliance but has become out of favour at Roma. He will have the chance to make his debut (likely off the bench) against West Ham – a fixture that Leicester will surely be looking at as an opportunity to make it four from four.
Hammers bounce back – for once or for good?
West Ham’s showing against Wolves was a much needed three points. However, the stats tell a story even more interesting than the 4-0 scoreline. West Ham had a meagre 36% possession, but had all the chances, so many that they probably should have had more. Jarrod Bowen and Pedro Fornals missed sitters right in front of goal.
The Hammers figured out Wolves’ puzzle time and time again with Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Michael Antonio and Arthur Masuaku making fools of their defence. For their lions’ share of possession, Wolves were unable to make much at all. Ruben Neves’ curling effort being the only challenge for Lukas Fabianski all evening. The question for the Hammers seems to be: was this performance a once-off or a sign of things to come?
West Ham dispatched Wolves with relative ease, but the latter looked like a side demoralised and demotivated after the double blow of a crushing defeat to Manchester City (a side they beat twice last year) and the loss of key man Diogo Jota to Liverpool. Wolves had been reminded, for the first time in almost three years in the Premier League, of their potential frailty and it showed in an unproductive and unchallenging performance littered with mistakes.
But, for West Ham, that might not even matter. After their initial two losses to Newcastle and Arsenal, they have shown that they are not to be underestimated and this win will give them the confidence needed to raise their game ready for Leicester City.
Playing and beating Wolves in the way they did may have even been the perfect preparation for their game against the Foxes. Away from home and against a team who like to dominate the ball, West Ham will be happy to give up possession and try to soak up the pressure, as Leicester push on, then strike on the counter just as they did against Wolves. They will be encouraged, too, to see that a similar tactic worked to some extent for Burnley, who managed to strike on the counter against Leicester and put themselves ahead (only to then lose 4-2).
Leicester aren’t invincible, and West Ham might just be in the state to prove it.
Team News.
Leicester City
Leicester City will be without Wilfrid Ndidi until Christmas and Ricardo Pereira remains out, although the latter has now returned to training.
Dennis Praet may be a doubt after coming off as a substitute, but his naming in the Belgium squad might suggest that there is little to worry about. Leicester are likely to revert to their regular 4-1-4-1 shape for a more possession-oriented game after playing 5 at the back last week.
James Maddison will also be a welcome addition to the starting line-up.
West Ham United
Issa Diop remains a doubt for this game, but other than that they are likely to line up in an identical shape to their fixture against Leicester.
Predicted Starting XIs
Leicester City (4-1-4-1): Schmeichel; Castagne, Evans, Soyuncu, Justin; Mendy; Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Praet; Vardy.
West Ham (3-4-3): Fabianski; Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Fredericks, Soucek, Rice, Masuaku; Bowen, Antonio, Fornals.
Prediction: Leicester 3 – 1 West Ham.
Leicester not only have a fantastic record against West Ham, but it is hard not to predict them as winners when they’re in such fantastic form. Expect the Hammers to put up a fight, and maybe even score the first goal, but Leicester’s attacking nous will surely see them take all three points.
