West Ham Vs Leicester, Premier League: Preview, Prediction, Key Players To Watch Out For

Ruud van Nistelrooy insisted Leicester City's quest to stay in the Premier League was a ൲"mountain to climb",ꦏ but said he and his players are ready to take on that task. 

Van Nistelrooy watched on as the Foxes were thrashed by Brentford 4-0 in their last top-flight encounter at the King P🌳ower Stadium, as their struggles at home continued. 

Indeed, it was Leicester's sixth consecutive home defeat without scoring in the Premier League, the longest eve🔥r run of home losses without a goal by any side within a single season in English top-flight history. 

The result left them 19th in the table, five points adrift of safety, with a trip to L🧸ondon Stadium to take on a buoyed West Ha🌄m United following their win at title chasers Arsenal up next.  

🍰"To go through all the challenges I've faced and compare them now," Van N🐻istelrooy said.

"I called it a mountain to climb, but life is about climbing mountai🥃ns and mountains are there to be climbed. That challenge I taﷺke.

"We sometimes slip on thꦰe mountain, but we get up and start again."

The Dutchma🌼n was also asked about whether he would stay with the club should theꦰy drop to the Championship at the end of the season, and his message was clear. 

"I k♊now what contract I signed, and it hasn't been a contract for five months, it was two more seasons after that," Van Nistelrooy said. 

ꦜ"I was aware when I arrived what the challenge was and how difficult it could be. I was aware and committed to the future."

Graham Potter is a man that knows all too well the pressures of managiꦓng in the Premier League, having taken charge of Brighton and Chelsea in recent years. 

His spell with the Blues lasted just 206 days, winning 12 of his 31 gam🦩es in charge in all compe൩titions (D8 L11) before being sacked by the club in April 2023 after a poor run of results. 

Potter oversaw a reported £323million outlay on new players during the January transfer window at Chelsea, stating that there is a relationship between reality and the expectation of managing in the top-flight, and that he relates 🔴with Van Nistelrooy's situation at Leicester. 

"I have been in the game 30 years𝓀, so we know how it is," Potter said. 

"It's a combination of results in the short term to give you opportunity to do something in the medium t🐓o long term. If you don't get those, it can be a challenge.

"There is always a relationship between reality and expꦅectation. Everybody has to fight that. All the jobs, mine, Ruud's, are complicated for different reasons.

"I have enough to worry about, so I have to focus on myself and how challenging this job is. But at the same time, it is a💧 fantastic club I am working for.

"I am excited about i♌t, and I am sure that is the same for Ruud."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham - Jarrod Bowen

After becoming only the second West Ham player to score 50 goals in the Premier League with his str𒁃ike against Arsenal last time out, Bowen will be keen to continue his goal-scoring fꦛorm. 

Across his seven appearances against the Foxes, Bowen has five goal involvements (three goals, two assists), onl༺y managing more in the Premier League against Arsenal, Newcas💖tle United (both six) and Wolves (seven). 

Leicester - Jamie Vardy

In a disappointing season for Leicester, Vardy has continued to prove that age is just a number, g✅rabbing seven goals and three assists for Leicester so far this campaign. 

He has netted four times in 16 appearances ag൲ainst West Ham in the Premier League, with his last strike coming against the Hammers ಞin their 3-1 win earlier in the campaign, notching the first goal of the Van Nistelrooy era at the King Power Stadium. 

MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

Wes✅t Ham have lost justꦗ one of their last 14 Premier League games against promoted sides (W11 D2), though it was against Leicester in the reverse fixture in December. At home, they've won eight of their last nine against promoted teams in the league (D1) since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in October 2021.

Following their 1-0 win against Arsenal last time out, West Ham are looking to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March 2024, while🐼 they last did so witไhout conceding in December 2023 (three).

But the Hammers have lost their last two Premier League home games under Potter, having already lost three in a row at London Stadium under Julen Lopetegui earlier this term. They have never had two separate runs of three or more consecutive home defeats in the same league season before𝐆.

Leicester, meanwhile, have lost 10 of their last 11 Premier League games (W1), including each of their last three by an aggregate score o🤪f 10-0. The Foxes haven't ☂lost more successive league matches while also failing to score in each since a run of five from January to February 2017. 

The Foxes are also t꧋he only side 🥂without an away clean sheet in the Premier League so far this season, conceding 32 goals across their 12 games on the road this term.

However, t💦hey have won each of their last three Premier League games against West Ham, more than they had in their previous 10 beforehand (W2 D4 L4🔜).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham - 56.4%

Draw - 22.4%

Leicester - 21.2%