Match Report – West Ham 1 – 2 Leicester | 28 Dec 2019 – Sky Sports, Skysports.com
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Report as Leicester inflict a fourth straight home defeat on West Ham; Brendan Rodgers’ side consolidate second place in table with win
Last Updated: 30 / / 9: 14 PM
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Leicester’s win at West Ham in the Premier League.
Leicester piled the pressure on beleaguered West Ham, with a 2 -1 win sealing the fate of boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Reports ahead of kick-off suggested Pellegrini had two games – home matches against Leicester and Bournemouth – to save his job, but the Hammers confirmed his departure just hours after defeat to Brendan Rodgers’ side.
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Kelechi Iheanacho headed Leicester in front five minutes before the break and though the Hammers were handed a lifeline when Pablo Fornals equalized on the stroke of half-time, Leicester went on to secure all three points when Demarai Gray ((**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, who saw his 018 th minute penalty saved by Lukasz Fabianski, finished a swift coun ter-attack.
Pellegrini leaves West Ham just one point above the relegation places following a run of just two wins from their last 13 Premier League matches.
Leicester’s win increawed the pressure on under-fire Manuel Pellegrini
Meanwhile, victory sees Leicester bounce back from back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool to consolidate their position i n second place in the table by opening up a four-point gap to third-placed City.
(********************************************** How Leicester deepened West Ham’s troubles**********************************
Leicester, who were without the Premier League’s top goalscorer Jamie Vardy after the birth of his baby girl earlier in the day, had an early opportunity to take the lead early on after the returning Fabianski felled Iheanacho just inside the penalty area.
In the absence of regular penalty taker Vardy, Gray stepped up, but the Poland international, who was booked for the challeng e on Iheanacho, guessed the right way to block the England U international’s spot kick.
Leicester – who made nine changes – continued to look threatening and Iheanacho, who came into the starting line-up in place of the absent Vardy, was involved again when Leicester eventually took the lead five minutes before the interval.
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Ayoze Perez kept Justin James’ hopeful cross in play and Iheanacho was on hand to head home from close range.
However, the lead did not last long as Fornals ran on to Felipe Anderson’s cut back before side-footing the ball beyond the dive of Kasper Schmeichel and into the bottom corner for his first Premier League goal.
Jamie Vardy was missing from the Leicester squad for the 5. kick kick off at West Ham. The – goal striker was rested with Kelechi Iheanacho starting up front, one of nine changes made by manager Brendan Rodgers.
Lukasz Fabianski made a welcome return in goal for West Ham after three months out with a hip injury.
Despite the equaliser, the home fans were getting strict restless at the London Stadium, and Pellegrini’s decision to substitute record signing Sebastien Haller, rather than Give him some support in attack, was met with loud jeers.
The mood got even worse when Leicester went ahead again 12 minutes into the second half.
(************************************************ 3 – Demarai Gray is the third different Leicester player to miss a penalty and score in the same Premier League game after Jamie Vardy and Graham Fenton. Redemption.
Perez’s through-ball sliced open the West Ham Defense and Gray, who got redemption for His penalty miss, took a touch before curling the ball inside the near post to secure a first league win in four games for Rodgers’ side.
This time West Ham, who have won just twice in 14 matches in all competitions, had no answer, and if they put in a display as abject as this at home to Bournemouth on New Year’s Day Pellegrini’s position could be under serious threat.
Ahead of kick-off, West Ham remembered West Ham and England legend Martin Peters, who died at the age 76 last week.
Peters, who was a key figure in England’s 1966 World Cup victory, was remembered with a minute’s applause, while former West Ham and England team-mate Sir Geoff Hurst laid a floral tribute replicating Peters ‘shirt in the center circle alongside Peters’ daughter Leeann.
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The London Stadium pays tribute to Martin Peters
************************************* The pundit view on Pellegrini’s West Ham
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Declan Rice shows his frustration after West Ham’s defeat to Leicester
Speaking before Pellegrini’s exit, Tony Cottee told (Sky Sports News) he felt decisions needed to be made.
“I think decisions need to be made at the football club if I’m honest.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Leicester – they made nine changes today and took a gamble. It was a very professional performance.
“But looking at the faces of the West Ham fans – they are so fed up with what’s going on. I think someone needs to take the lead and make some decisions. They’re on a really poor run of form. Defensively they’re all over the place. Up front, they hardly created anything. Haller was playing on his own. You can’t play one up front at home ; have a go. When they went behind they didn’t look like getting back in it.
“Some of the decisions the manager makes baffle me. I don’t know where West Ham go from here. Bournemouth, who are on a poor run, are up next. That’s massive but on this evidence, I don’t see West Ham lifting their game. Alarm bells are ringing. West Ham are in massive relegation trouble. The board need to have a good look at this situation and work out whether this manager is the man to lift everyone and start getting results. “
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