Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrated his first victory as Leicester City manager with a 3-1 triumph over Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham United in the Premier League on Tuesday. This match marked a promising start for the former Manchester United striker, who recently took the helm at Leicester after a brief stint as interim coach at United.
Van Nistelrooy faces the daunting challenge of steering Leicester away from relegation, and he will rely heavily on veteran forward Jamie Vardy. The 37-year-old responded to the call by netting the opening goal just two minutes into the match, capitalizing on a well-timed pass from Morocco midfielder Bilal El Khannouss. El Khannouss later scored himself in the 61st minute, followed by a third goal from Patson Daka in the 90th minute. West Ham’s Niclas Füllkrug scored a late consolation goal in stoppage time.
El Khannouss expressed optimism about the new managerial change, stating, “We are very happy with the new manager. He arrived two days ago, and there’s a new dynamic in the group.”
Van Nistelrooy praised his team’s “spirit and energy,” emphasizing the importance of collective effort: “The foundation for us going forward is everyone working their socks off, fighting for every inch and defending together. We can look further then, and they did that in an unbelievable way.”
In contrast, West Ham’s disappointing result comes on the heels of a 5-2 defeat to Arsenal just three days prior, intensifying pressure on Lopetegui in his first season with the club. Despite dominating possession and registering 31 shots on goal, West Ham managed only one goal. Frustrated fans directed chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at Lopetegui during the second half.
“We’re very frustrated, but I can say nothing about the players—they fight until the end,” Lopetegui said. “It’s not easy to explain football some days.” West Ham currently sits 14th in the league, one spot above Leicester, having lost seven of their 14 matches.
Palace’s Guehi Defies FA with Religious Message
In other Premier League action, Crystal Palace secured just their second league win of the season, defeating relegation rivals Ipswich Town 1-0. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal in the 59th minute, lifting Palace three points clear of the relegation zone.
The match also drew attention to the captains of both teams. Ipswich’s Sam Morsy opted not to wear the rainbow armband, citing his religious beliefs, while Palace’s Marc Guehi wore the armband but added a personal touch by inscribing a religious message: “Jesus you.” This action contravened Football Association regulations, as Guehi had previously faced scrutiny for a similar message during a match against Newcastle.
Ipswich remains in next-to-last place, while Palace’s victory offers a glimmer of hope as they aim to avoid relegation.
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