Van Nistelrooy Begins Leicester Era With Victory Over West Ham

December 04, (THEWILL) – Leicester City experienced a much-needed boost on Tuesday evening, with new manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, notching a 3-1 victory against West Ham United in his first match in charge. The triumph lifted the team from the relegation zone to 15th position in the English Premier League standings, marking a turnaround for the struggling side.

Veteran striker, Jamie Vardy, opened the scoring within the first two minutes, following an intensive VAR review that confirmed his perfectly timed run behind the defensive line. The 37-year-old striker relayed his continued value to the team, setting the tone for Leicester’s overall performance against a dominant West Ham side that created numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match.

Bilal El Khannouss extended Leicester’s lead on the hour mark, steering home a well-weighted pass from Kasey McAteer. The young midfielder’s clinical finish was another highlight of Leicester’s clinical approach, despite West Ham’s consistent pressure and numerous near-miss opportunities that tested the Foxes’ defensive capabilities.

Substitute Patson Daka sealed the victory in the 90th minute with a powerful strike, completing a counter-attacking move that definitively broke West Ham’s resolve. The Hammers managed a late consolation goal through Niclas Fuellkrug four minutes into stoppage time, but it proved insufficient to alter the match’s outcome.

West Ham had several missed opportunities, including Danny Ings’ first-half header that struck the post and Crysencio Summerville’s effort that was dramatically cleared off the line by Leicester defender Conor Coady. Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen also survived a terrible error when a potential goal was controversially disallowed due to a foul in the build-up.

The victory provides significant momentum for van Nistelrooy, who was appointed last Friday to replace previous manager Steve Cooper. Despite limited preparation time, the Dutch manager successfully implemented his tactical approach, demonstrating immediate impact and providing hope for Leicester’s EPL campaign.