Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first match as Leicester City manager ended in a much-needed win for the team – 3-1 over West Ham in the Premier League.
Early Drama & VAR Intervention
The game started with a strike from Jamie Vardy inside the opening ten minutes but was disallowed by an offside flag. He was awarded a goal through a VAR review. West Ham enjoyed the upper hand during most of the match, and they failed to convert those opportunities. Danny Ings saw his shot hit the post while an equalizer for the away side was disallowed following a foul by Tomas Soucek.
Bilal El Khannouss’ Impact And Vardy’s Brace
Bilal El Khannouss proved influential, supporting Vardy to score the opener and doubling Leicester’s lead shortly after the hour mark with a clinical finish. With time running out, Leicester substitute Patson Daka scored in the 90th minute to wrap up all three points.
Late consolation For West Ham
West Ham did manage to gain a late Niclas Fullkrug goal, but for them, it was but a consolation as they took a disappointing defeat. The result leaves West Ham in the 14th position while increasing the pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui.
Leicester Much-Needed Victory
Leicester’s win was the crucial one, lifting them to 15th position and moving four points clear of relegation. This marked their first victory in six matches, ending their five-game winless streak.
Vardy’s Milestone
The game was special for Jamie Vardy as he made his 100th Premier League appearance at home for Leicester, now he has registered 73 goals and 27 assists. He is the 14th player in the history of the Premier League to have achieved this feat at one ground. In fact, Vardy has scored under six different Leicester managers, it is a feat only few players have achieved in the competition.
Van Nistelrooy Scores
Van Nistelrooy scripted history in his first match he became the first manager to beat the same team consecutively in the Premier League. He had previously led Manchester United to a 3-0 win against Leicester City in the past.
🔵🦊 Ruud van Nistelrooy wins his first game in charge as Leicester City head coach, 3-1 vs West Ham.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 3, 2024
Julen Lopetegui now under serious pressure. pic.twitter.com/oeQq0SoIaj
Missed Opportunities West Ham
West Ham had to face defeat but they were still able to take a record of 31 attempted shots, which is the highest in Premier League since 2005-06. But it was unfortunate that they couldn’t convert the attempts into goals leaving them with a crushing defeat.
