Leicester’s performance left Robbie Savage thoroughly unimpressed as West Ham secured a straightforward 2-0 victory over them at the London Stadium on Thursday.
A strike from Tomas Soucek, followed by an own goal by Jannik Vestergaard, allowed West Ham to build on their 1-0 triumph against Arsenal on Saturday, 22 February.
The outcome saw Graham Potter’s team edge further away from the relegation zone, leapfrogging Everton in the Premier League standings, while pushing Leicester closer to the drop.
Ruud van Nistelrooy and his squad can have little to argue about regarding the defeat, as they were outplayed across the pitch, though they may feel aggrieved by one controversial decision.
Savage raises doubts over Mohammed Kudus incident:
Vestergaard’s own goal originated from a James Ward-Prowse corner, which the Danish defender inadvertently turned into his own net after Jarrod Bowen’s attempt, but Savage remains uncertain whether the corner should have been awarded in the first place.
The pundit acknowledged that whether the ball deflected off a Leicester player following Mohammed Kudus’ cross is a “major question,” though he ultimately attributed it to “poor” defending from the visitors.
“It’s really poor defensively,” Savage remarked on TNT Sports, as reported by the BBC live blog (27 February, 8:46 pm).
“I think the big question is, was there a touch off a Leicester player for a corner?
“I don’t think we can see it from the cross, but it must’ve been the faintest touch.”
Leicester fail to trouble West Ham
Any viewer of the match would concur that Leicester stood little chance of overcoming West Ham, even if the corner had not been given and the own goal had been disallowed.
Van Nistelrooy set up his team to defend, but the strategy clearly backfired as the Foxes found it difficult to contain the Hammers.
Aside from their defensive frailties, Leicester’s tactics made it nearly impossible for them to pose any significant threat in attack.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and the West Ham defenders were rarely tested by Jamie Vardy and his teammates.
That said, West Ham have now secured back-to-back victories after failing to win in their previous four matches.
With just 11 games remaining, the East London side are firmly on track to maintain their Premier League status, with Potter effectively dispelling any lingering relegation fears that had surfaced under Julen Lopetegui.
