West Ham 3-2 Leicester: Hammers survive late scare as Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen inspire victory

It would be easy, and wholly appropriate, to lavish praise on Jesse Lingard after this magnificent win. Undoubtedly, the comeback story of the season.

In front of England manager Gareth Southgate, the West Ham attacker was breathtaking… again.

Similarly, it would be as justified to herald David Moyes’ re-emergence as a managerial powerhouse as he bolstered his claims to be named manager of the year as his team ruthlessly dismantled Leicester. 

West Ham beat Leicester 3-2 to move above Chelsea and back into the top-four places

West Ham beat Leicester 3-2 to move above Chelsea and back into the top-four places

Jesse Lingard scored twice in the first half to score his seventh and eighth goals of the season

Lingard opened the scoring with a fantastic half-volley which he curled into the bottom corner

Lingard opened the scoring with a fantastic half-volley which he curled into the bottom corner

The midfielder made it 2-0 when he met Jarrod Bowen's cross to finish into an empty net

 The midfielder made it 2-0 when he met Jarrod Bowen’s cross to finish into an empty net

Kelechi Iheancho scored two in the second half as the Foxes threatened an unlikely comeback

Kelechi Iheancho scored two in the second half as the Foxes threatened an unlikely comeback

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

West Ham (3-4-3): Fabianski 6.5; Dawson 7, Diop 7, Cresswell 7 (Balbuena 53, 6); Coufal 7, Noble 7.5 (Johnson 82), Soucek 7.5 , Masuaku 6; Fornals 6.5, Bowen 7.5 (Benrahma 84), Lingard 8.5. 

Subs not used: Alves, Fredericks, Martin, Trott, Odubeko, Coventry. 

Booked: Soucek, Cresswell, Masuaku.

Manager: Moyes 8

Leicester (3-5-2): Schmeichel 5.5; Amartey 5.5 (Thomas 46, 6), Evans 6, Fofana 6; Pereira 6.5, Tielemans 6.5, Ndidi 6.5, Praet 6 (Albrighton 59, 7), Castagne 6; Vardy 6.5, Iheanacho 7.5. 

Subs not used: Ward, Mendy, Fuchs, Leshabela, Daley-Campbell, Tavares, Suengchitthawon. 

Booked: Ricardo

Manager: Rodgers 6.5

 

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He deserves the recognition, his redemption season goes from strength to strength.

But – as influential as they’ve both been – this exhilarating push for Champions League qualification from a team tipped for relegation at the start of the season isn’t merely about just two men.

That would be doing this impressive West Ham team a disservice; they are so much more than that.

Their top-four bandwagon shows no signs of slowing down – though a late Leicester charge made victory far less comfortable than it really should have been.

But if you didn’t believe West Ham could finish inside the top four – then you really should be revising that opinion. They aren’t going anywhere, certainly not on this evidence.

They were aided by the absence of James Maddison, who along with Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhary, was axed from the squad for what Leicester have described as an ‘extremely disappointing’ Covid breach.

Would this game have turned out differently if Maddison was playing? Maybe. Who knows? Frankly, it doesn’t matter.

More fool Maddison for letting down his team. This was his opportunity to shine in front of Southgate.

Instead his hopes of making England’s Euro squad appear over after this show of indiscipline.

But while the Leicester schemer’s non-selection certainly benefitted the home side; it shouldn’t be used as a reason to detract from what was another epic performance from Moyes’ men.

Bowen had made it 3-0 right straight after the break as he finished off a well-worked move

Bowen had made it 3-0 right straight after the break as he finished off a well-worked move

Lingard found Soucek in the middle and he squared the ball for Bowen to finish smartly

Declan Rice celebrated the goals as the injured midfielder watched on from the stands

Declan Rice celebrated the goals as the injured midfielder watched on from the stands

All the tenacity and organisation you’d expect from a Moyes team. But this team is bursting with attacking intent and invention – Leicester couldn’t live with them when they broke.

Lingard is the star turn, of course. But Jarrod Bowen is flourishing into a genuine Premier League threat.

The fact West Ham didn’t miss the injured Michail Antonio is testament to how Lingard, Bowen and Pablo Fornals shook Leicester’s defence to the core.

The absence of Declan Rice with a knee injury is a huge blow. But in Mark Noble – who was making his 400th appearance for the club – West Ham have a man who bleeds claret and blue.

Kelechi Iheanacho had a couple of opportunities to strike early for Leicester, but for the most part West Ham’s defence were largely untroubled until the closing stages.

Once the Hammers weathered early Leicester pressure, they looked like the only side who had the tools to win this clash.

Their first arrived in the 29th minute, Lingard firing the sweetest of half volley’s past Kasper Schmeichel following Vladimir Coufal’s cut-back to the edge of the area.

Iheancho got the Foxes back into the game with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box

Iheancho got the Foxes back into the game with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box

Brendan Rodgers was without James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury because of a Covid-19 breach

Brendan Rodgers was without James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury because of a Covid-19 breach 

David Moyes endured a nervy ending as his side threatened to collapse at home again

The arc on the strike was vicious; the Foxes keeper could only stand and watch.

West Ham fear Lingard could cost them as much as £30million when they try to make his loan spell permanent at the end of the season.

But after eight goals in nine games and three assists since joining from Manchester United on loan in January, you’d imagine Ed Woodward is concocting an altogether more expensive plan.

Nine minutes later Schmeichel was left horribly exposed again, but this time Coufal’s composure evaded him as the Hammers broke with purpose.

Moyes’ men didn’t have to wait long for their second, however, as Bowen took full advantage of a moment of indecision from Schmeichel to set up Lingard who stroked into an empty net for his second.

West Ham – and Lingard – were in dreamland. This was fast becoming a nightmare for Leicester.

They collapsed last season to relinquish a top-four spot, that for so long looked nailed on.

Brendan Rodgers will certainly be fearing the worst. The scars of last year’s disappointment have barely healed, the Leicester players will be fearful of opening new wounds as West Ham moved to within a point of the Foxes in third.

Lingard, inevitably, was at the heart of the Hammers’ third – his pass inside Tomas Soucek leaving the Foxes’ rearguard sliced open.

The Czech’s pass into Bowen’s path was perfect, the Hammers forward duly firing home for his team’s decisive goal.

It was devastating from the Hammers. Rice, sat in the stands, couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Moyes was pretty happy at this point, too.

But Kelechi Iheancho’s late brace, the scones of which arriving in the first of six minutes of injury time, certainly changed Moyes mood. He was fuming by the full-time whistle.

But this was West Ham’s day. It’s looking likely this could be their season, too.

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