December 25, 2024

West Ham United v Leicester City: Premier League – live!

Leicester #Leicester

10.57am EDT 10:57

GOAL! West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City (Iheanacho 90+1)

Albrighton, who’s been lively since coming on, takes up another good position down the right and sticks another good ball into the middle. It kicks off Masuaku and bounces beautifully into the path of the onrushing Iheanachi, who underlines his burgeoning relevance by snapping into a terrific finish, on the burst and on the league. Are West Ham going to westham it again?

10.55am EDT 10:55

89 min Alan Smith picks Bowen as his man of the match, partly because he can’t be arsed giving it Lingard again. I can’t quibble with that too much given how well he played, but he the key and decisive contributions were not his.

10.54am EDT 10:54

88 min Hello! Albrighton takes a lovely touch to control the ball just outside the box, right-hand side, and diddles both Balbuena and Masuaku … but runs out of space, the latter coming back to rob him from behind.

10.52am EDT 10:52

87 min Thomas hits a long, straight ball seeking Vardy, but Fabiaski, who’s been quietly excellent today, is right on the edge of his box and ready to collect.

10.51am EDT 10:51

85 min I wonder if Rodgers has missed a trick in playing Tielemans so deep. When Leicester have more players available, having someone with his creativity in front of the back four is a huge advantage, but with so little in front of him, I think he might be best deployed nearer the opponent’s goal.

10.49am EDT 10:49

84 min Now Benrahma gets his chance, on for Bowen who’s had a really good afternoon. I like him a lot – he’s positive, strong and not scared, a typical Moyes player.

10.49am EDT 10:49

84 min Leicester win a corner down the right which Albrighton swings out, but Fellaini Soucek heads clear.

10.47am EDT 10:47

82 min Johnson replaces Noble, who Moyes will be desperate to get patched up for Newcastle away next Saturday.

10.46am EDT 10:46

80 min A fine reverse-pass from Tielemans sends Ricardo into the box and he’s one-on-one with the keeper! But his first touch forces him to go around Fabianski, who does brilliantly to insert an arm, poking the ball away. VAR has a look but the challenge was fine.

10.45am EDT 10:45

79 min Said Benrahma has been waiting to come on for a while – I think that’s a good change because West Ham need to keep their attacking threat not invite pressure. But he’s then told to sit down, with Johnson asked to ready himself instead.

10.44am EDT 10:44

78 min Noble goes off to stand at the side, but West Ham get the corner away without him. Noble must’ve landed on an arm because he’s walking with a sort of limp on his right side, letting it dangle by his side.

Mark Noble goes off injured. Photograph: Getty Images

Updated at 10.52am EDT

10.42am EDT 10:42

76 min Leicester push again, Tielemans driving a shot from the edge of the box in front of which Noble flings his frame. He stays down for a while, whitewash from the line all over his phizog, but hell be fine I think. It’s no more than what Ronnie, Reggie and Gary Hobbs would’ve done, all of whom love their old mum.

10.41am EDT 10:41

75 min “I have been talking up Robert Caro for decades,” returns Mary Waltz, “and very few people here in the States have taken me up on it. Never thought a UK football website would be the place where someone would take me up on my recommendation. If you like the Power Broker you will be floored with Caro’s LBJ series. It reveals the beauty and the horror of America in one man.”

Yup, I actually first came to Caro via David Runciman’s essential Talking Politics pod, and referred to it in a blog which is how we got to Caro. One day, I hope to get to it’s 5,902 volumes.

10.39am EDT 10:39

73 min Bowen drives over halfway and Ndidi, who’s already been booked, trips him. I don’t want every foul to be a yellow card, but I’m extremely unsure how that – cynical and late – isn’t worth one.

10.38am EDT 10:38

72 min I said it earlier, but Iheanacho is developing from poacher to player in front of our eyes. He’s been Leicester’s liveliest and likeliest today, again.

10.37am EDT 10:37

WHAT A GOAL! West Ham United 3-1 Leicester City (Iheanacho 70)

Well then! Ricardo nashes in on Masuaku and robs him then finds Iheanachom, who does really well to adjust feet as the ball’s on its way, also suggesting that he’ll let it run across him and move across the face of the box. But instead he slaps a rasper past Dawson and Schmeichel, and do we got ourselves a ball-game?

Leicester pull a goal back. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC/Getty Images

Updated at 10.48am EDT

10.35am EDT 10:35

69 min Albrighton drives a ball towards the far post but Vardy can make nothing of it. I’m being wise after the event, but I wonder if he’s got to start given the aforementioned absences and two strikers needing serving.

10.33am EDT 10:33

68 min Those injuries were especially cruel as both men were playing better than they’d ever done before.

10.33am EDT 10:33

67 min Leicester had a good few minutes but couldn’t create much, and West Ham have righted themselves. A goal for the visitors would still liven things up, but it’s not looking especially likely – they’re missing the craft of Maddison and incision of Barnes badly.

10.30am EDT 10:30

65 min West Ham win a free-kick 30 yards out, left of centre with Noble and Lingard behind him; good luck, Mark old mate. Shonuff, he quickly moves away and the man of the month flips a tasty-looking searcher to the back post, where Schmeichel does well to collect on the leap.

10.29am EDT 10:29

63 min “Pep or Klopp’s high press attack, attack attack,” says Mary Waltz. “Or Jose’s low block score a goal, strangling out the rest of the game, joyless yet silverware producing master tactics? Or how about the neanderthal bash it down route one and run like hell and knock in the goal? It makes for a very short book but today it looks like a genius tactic.”

I think that’s harsh on Moyes – the way he’s deployed his attacking players but Lingard in particular, has been very smart. When you watch West Ham play, you can see they know what they’re doing.

10.27am EDT 10:27

62 min Leicester win a corner down the left which makes its way over to Ndidi on the far side of the box. His first attempt at controlling it is poor, but he regains possession and from 10 yards out, swipes a decent opportunity over the bar.

10.26am EDT 10:26

60 min I wonder if, with Maddison and Perez back, Leicester will revert to 4-3-3. If they do, there’ll need to be a decision made about Vardy, who’s not paying well enough to keep his place but who remains likely to score at Wembley.

10.24am EDT 10:24

59 min Leicester look more dangerous now than at any other time in the match, which of course leaves them in danger of conceding again on the counter. Meantime, we see a replay of Dawson accidentally catching Vardy; no pen, says VAR.

10.23am EDT 10:23

57 min Leicester really need to get a hold of themselves here, because a proper tumping would be catastrophic for them – not just for their league prospects but for their cup semi next weekend. Southampton is no gimme, but you’d take it if offered.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

Updated at 10.37am EDT

10.21am EDT 10:21

56 min “Just come from the garden to the MBM,” brags Geoff Wignall, “and re, ‘ … Lingard, who snaps it from around his right arse-cheek – it’s slightly behind him – on the half-volley …’ – do you mean he hit it on the bounce or was he sitting on his arse ? A half volley being as the ball bounces, as per a rugby drop kick and as used in tennis, cricket and, well everything.”

I mean he hit it on the bounce.

10.20am EDT 10:20

NO GOAL! West Ham United 3-0 Leicester City

Diop was a good chunk of body offside.

10.20am EDT 10:20

GOAL! West Ham United 4-0 Leicester City (Diop)

West Ham take a free-kick quickly, out to Lingard down the right, and he jigs about on his his dancing feet before picking out Diop at the far post who heads across Schmeichel and in off the post. The ref gives it, but I think it’ll be disallowed for offside.

10.18am EDT 10:18

53 min I wonder how much money West Ham will have to give Man United for Lingard, in addition to Declan Rice.

10.17am EDT 10:17

51 min “I can’t allow West Ham to take the title of everyone’s favourite second team away from homelyTM Fulham and the iconicTM Cottage,” says Richard Hirst. “Especially not West Ham, who I’ve never forgiven for the 1975 Cup Final.”

I think affection for Fulham is basically affection for the ground and boozers in its locale. I’m not sure there’s much footballing basis to it.

10.16am EDT 10:16

50 min Cresswell goes down after winning a header with apparent hamstring grief sustained on landing. But the physio treats it like it’s cramp, so hopefully he’ll be good to carry on.

10.14am EDT 10:14

GOAL! West Ham United 3-0 Leicester City (Bowen 48)

Well! Masuaku wins the ball high when Iheancho’s touch is heavy and he finds Lingard at inside-left. A touch to control and a pass inside for Soucek; a touch to control and a pass inside for Bowen; a touch to control and pass past Schmeichel. They’ve worked and taken that absolutely beautifully, and this is o-v-e-r.

Jarrod Bowen scores for the third the Hammers. Photograph: John Walton/Reuters All too easy for West Ham. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Reuters

Updated at 10.25am EDT

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