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West Ham 18th (2-3-7) vs Leicester City 12th (3-4-5)
Friday 3:00 PM ET, London Stadium
Leicester certainly fared better last weekend against top of the table Manchester City than the Hammers did against Watford. The future doesn’t seem quite as bright at the moment under David Moyes and the Foxes shouldn’t expect anything less than leaving London with three points.
How to Watch
Grab yourself some turkey leftovers, park yourself in front of the telly, and switch on NBCSN.
The Competition
David Moyes first match in charge didn’t quite have the pizzazz of the beginning of a new era at West Ham. Had it not been for the fantastic Heurelho Gomes, they might have had something more to celebrate, but in the end they lost 2-0.
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There were a few signs of improvement as the offense did manage six shots on target, but defensively they were woeful at times. Watford man Will Hughes gave the Hornets the lead after only eleven minutes and Richarlison made it 2-0 at the 64 minute mark. West Ham, like Manchester City, benefited from the match official not wanting to give a red card too early in a match when Andy Carroll’s challenge left Marvin Zeegelaar with a bloody nose.
The Foxes
Jamie Vardy was in and would’ve put Leicester up 1-0 within the first breaths of life in the game had it not been for Vincent Kompany’s goal saving foul. He should’ve been sent off and it shouldn’t matter whether it’s the 90th minute or 90 seconds into a match, if a player commits a sending off offence then they should be punished accordingly.
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Had Leicester been a bit more clinical, they could’ve walked away with something from this match. Anytime they got the ball back and looked to be dangerous a pass would just be a bit off and then Manchester would have the ball for the next 10 minutes. The team looked a bit excited, or maybe it was nerves, on the ball and hardly managed a clear chance on goal. Defensively things were great when they kept the opposition to the wings, but once they got the ball in the middle of the field just outside the 18, they made the most of the tiny pockets of space allowed to them to strike twice.
The History
After a 2-0 defeat in 2014, Leicester are unbeaten in six matches against West Ham in all competitions, with five wins and one draw. Last season Leicester’s first win away from home was at West Ham. The Foxes certainly know how to come away from London Stadium with three points.
The Prediction
I think Leicester can finally loosen the reigns on their offense after a couple of weeks trying to be more sound defensively. West Ham have only managed 11 goals this season, but have allowed 25 goals in the same span. I like Leicester to score in the first ten minutes and win 4-0 giving them a nice boost of morale going into Tuesday’s match against Tottenham.