Leicester City delivered yet another disappointing performance on Thursday night, as West Ham cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory, intensifying the pressure on manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Fans endured a grueling 90 minutes on Friday night when Leicester suffered a 4-0 defeat to Brentford, and there was little improvement shown at the London Stadium.
Van Nistelrooy opted for a defensive setup, but given Leicester’s status as one of the league’s weakest defensive teams, it was hardly surprising to see this strategy fail.
The Foxes struggled to compete with West Ham for the majority of the match, conceding their first goal within 21 minutes as Tomas Soucek capitalized on some sloppy defending. A deflected strike from Jarrod Bowen just before halftime doubled the lead.
In a telling statistic, Leicester managed just one entry into the final third in the first 35 minutes, highlighting their dismal first-half performance.
The second half offered no improvement, as Van Nistelrooy made no changes at halftime, despite the match resembling a one-sided contest.
Following another underwhelming display under the Dutchman, here’s how the Leicester players were rated.
Leicester City player ratings vs West Ham
Mads Hermansen – 5
Made an excellent save to deny Mohammed Kudus from close range, but Soucek scored from the rebound, and Hermansen was helpless to stop Bowen’s deflected effort.
James Justin – 2
Woyo Coulibaly might wonder why he was dropped for James Justin, who returned to the starting lineup after an injury but failed to impress.
Jannik Vestergaard – 0
Another dreadful performance from Vestergaard. He played two West Ham players onside for the first goal and made no attempt to block the shot. Far below Premier League standards and a key reason for Leicester’s defensive woes.
Wout Faes – 2
Alongside Vestergaard, Faes was equally ineffective, offering little in terms of defensive contributions and failing to contest any ground or aerial duels in the first half.
Victor Kristiansen – 2
Simply not up to the required level for top-flight football. Though he tried to compete against Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the left, his defending was often weak, and his passing was poor.
Boubakary Soumare – 2
Soumare wasn’t helped by Van Nistelrooy’s defensive approach, but fans expected at least some effort and determination. The Frenchman lost Kudus for West Ham’s first goal and was largely passive throughout the game.
Wilfred Ndidi – 5
Typically a composed presence in midfield, Ndidi used the ball effectively when given the opportunity. A rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal night for Leicester.
Facundo Buonanotte – 4
Only making his third league start under Van Nistelrooy after a promising display against Brentford, the Argentine failed to seize his chance. He was outmuscled by West Ham and only showed glimpses of his quality late in the game.
Bilal El Khannouss – 4
Frozen out of the game in the first half and gave the ball away cheaply multiple times. However, he became more influential as Leicester began to push forward with greater intent.
Bobby De Cordova Reid – 2
Substituted after an hour for Stephy Mavididi, Reid offered nothing of note during his time on the pitch, while Mavididi made an immediate impact after coming on.
Jamie Vardy – 4
Cut an isolated and frustrated figure up front. Vardy was starved of service but, as always, his work rate remained commendable as he continued to chase down lost causes.
Substitutes
Stephy Mavididi – 5
Came off the bench and immediately injected energy, driving at the opposition and showing the kind of fight that was sorely lacking from most of his teammates.
Harry Winks – 3
Used the ball well after coming on, but his lack of urgency in winning possession and tracking back raised questions.
Patson Daka – N/A
Luke Thomas – N/A
Looking at mark out of 10. those marks are generous. Should be 2s all around. dreadfull performence.