Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed a dream debut as Leicester City manager, guiding the Foxes to a crucial 3-1 triumph over West Ham United at the King Power Stadium.
The win not only ended Leicester’s six-game winless streak but also put four points between them and the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, the loss intensified the pressure on West Ham’s manager, Julen Lopetegui. Throughout the game, frustrated fans voiced their displeasure, chanting, “You’re getting sacked in the morning!” as his team faltered.
“This feels like the beginning of the end for Lopetegui,” remarked Tim Sherwood on Sky Sports’ Soccer Special. “You cannot capitulate like this.”
Leicester’s blistering start came courtesy of Jamie Vardy, who found the net in the second minute. Initially flagged offside, the goal was eventually given after a painstaking four-minute VAR review.
Sherwood’s live reaction on Soccer Special captured the tension, “This is tight! The defender’s back foot may just have played him on. Goal! Four minutes later, they can celebrate.”
Despite Leicester’s early lead, West Ham responded energetically. Danny Ings, one of Lopetegui’s five changes, came close to equalizing, hitting the woodwork after a deflection.
However, Leicester’s goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made a series of crucial first-half saves, preserving the Foxes’ advantage at the break.
West Ham’s hopes of leveling the score were dashed when Tomas Soucek was penalized for a foul on Hermansen, nullifying Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s potential equalizer.
Moments later, Bilal El Khannouss doubled Leicester’s lead, shifting the momentum decisively.
Patson Daka sealed the victory in stoppage time, capping a disciplined and clinical performance from Van Nistelrooy’s side.
Despite a flurry of 31 shots—West Ham’s highest tally in a Premier League match since 2005-06—the visitors struggled to convert chances into goals.
This marked the most shots by a losing away team since Chelsea’s 32 attempts against Birmingham in November 2010.
Lopetegui’s team has now suffered eight defeats this season. However, Niclas Füllkrug’s late goal, his first for the club, provided a glimmer of hope ahead of their upcoming clash with Wolves, a match that could define Lopetegui’s tenure.
Speaking after the game, Sherwood didn’t hold back in his critique, “West Ham had better players on the bench than they did on the pitch. And I cannot believe how they set up defensively on the halfway line. It just made no sense. It was poor from West Ham, but give Leicester credit. Personally, I think this is the beginning of the end for Lopetegui. You cannot capitulate like this.”
Sherwood continued, highlighting the disorganization in West Ham’s play, “They are playing as if they have just been thrown on the pitch and wherever they land is where they play. There is absolutely no structure to their play. The manager has got it all wrong. There are more questions than answers for Lopetegui. He has had a bad night.”
In his post-match interview with Amazon Prime, Lopetegui expressed frustration but remained determined,“It’s a frustrating night as we deserved much more. Playing football is not easy. We had 31 shots in the opposition’s box; normally, you have to win this match. We had many chances but did not score. Tomorrow we will start looking for the next challenge, knowing we are able to change the situation. They want to win for them, for me, and the club. Football is about the win. Today is a day where we deserved much more. The next will be the most important, we must be focused.”
Van Nistelrooy, reflecting on his debut win, emphasized team spirit and hard work, “I think first and foremost we need to get some performance with energy, togetherness, and spirit to get a connection with the crowd, and I think they did that. The foundation for us going forward is everybody working their socks off, fighting for every inch, everybody tackling and fighting for each other. From there on, we can look further. They did that in an unbelievable way.”
While Leicester’s future under Van Nistelrooy looks promising, West Ham face an uphill battle to regain form. Their win against Newcastle may have masked deeper issues, but against Leicester, those cracks became glaring.
With mounting defensive struggles and a lack of cohesion in midfield, Lopetegui’s side must regroup quickly as they prepare for a pivotal encounter against Wolves.
