West Ham United vs Leicester City Preview

West Ham will look to build on their impressive weekend win over Arsenal when they welcome struggling Leicester City to London this Thursday.

The Hammers produced arguably the biggest shock of Matchday 26 when they secured a 1-0 win over Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing side. It was a shock because the win ended their four-game winless run (D1, L3) and Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten league run.

But despite the win, the Hammers still occupy a lowly position in the Premier League table. They are 13 points clear of the bottom three pre-round, though, easing any lingering fears of them becoming embroiled in a relegation battle.

If they beat Leicester, Graham Potter’s side could put even more daylight between themselves and the sides beneath them. Having won 11 of their last 14 Premier League games against promoted sides (D2, L1), the omens appear in their favour.

However, the sole defeat in that period came in the reverse fixture back in December, while the fact the Hammers have already been beaten seven times at home in the league this term (W4, D2) suggests they can be vulnerable at the London Stadium.

Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy suffered his tenth league loss as Leicester City coach when they lost 4-0 to Brentford last weekend. It was their fourth consecutive loss, with each of the losses seeing them concede 2+ goals.

Those results mean that the Foxes begin this round five points from safety and look destined to make an immediate return to the Championship. However, a 3-1 win in early December against this opponent, which came in Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge, could offer some encouragement that they could add to the four victories they’ve managed since their return to the top flight (D5, L17) here.

Leicester’s main issue this season has been a fragile defence, though, with only bottom-of-the-table Southampton conceding more Premier League goals than Leicester’s 59 pre-round. The Foxes have conceded 2+ goals in 20 Premier League games already, and that tally includes eleven of their 13 league matches since Van Nistelrooy took charge. So it’s fair to say the Dutchman’s impact since taking the job hasn’t been overly positive.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table