Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of Leicester for the first time when they host West Ham on Tuesday, and we’ve got the latest team news and predicted lineups, as well as a score prediction alongside our match preview.
Leicester vs West Ham Preview
West Ham head to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday evening in what will be Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge of the Foxes, following on from Steve Cooper’s dismissal.
Leicester head into Gameweek 14 without a win in six consecutive matches across all competitions, with their last outing ending in a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford in the English capital on Saturday.
That result followed a 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea the weekend prior, Cooper’s final game in charge of the East Midlands-based outfit, while they are currently in 16th place in the table, just one point clear of the relegation zone.
Ready for work 👔 pic.twitter.com/SRV0WjillT
— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 1, 2024
The Hammers, meanwhile, are just two positions ahead in 14th in the table, five points clear of the Foxes and six points clear of the drop, and they come into this one off the back of a 5-2 defeat to Arsenal last time out.
Prior to the Arsenal loss, Julen Lopetegui’s side had lost just twice across their previous seven English top-flight matches – a run that included a 4-1 victory over Ipswich, a 2-1 win against Manchester United and a 2-0 triumph over Newcastle.
Recent meetings between West Ham and Leicester point to a positive result for the home side. They are unbeaten in each of their last three clashes, including back-to-back 2-0 and 2-1 victories during the 2022/23 season when the Foxes were relegated to the second tier.
Leicester Team News
Van Nistelrooy will be without several first-team players for his maiden outing with the Foxes, with Abdul Fatawu (knee) ruled out for the season, while Ricardo Pereira (thigh) and Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle) are also out.
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks (groin) also looks set to miss out on the Hammers’ visit, alongside Caleb Okoli, who is currently nursing a knock.
West Ham Team News
As for the visitors, Mohammed Kudus is available for selection after serving his five-game ban, and there could also be a return to the squad for Niclas Fullkrug, who has been out since September with an Achilles injury.
Konstantinos Mavropanos and academy youngster Kaelan Casey, meanwhile, are reported as doubts after missing Saturday’s clash against the Gunners at the London Stadium.
Leicester vs West Ham Predicted Lineups
Leicester Predicted Lineup:
Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Soumare, Ndidi; Ayew, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy
West Ham Predicted Lineup:
Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Paqueta; Bowen, Soler, Summerville; Antonio
Leicester vs West Ham Prediction
The UK’s best football betting sites are narrowly favouring the Hammers to prevail at the King Power on Tuesday, but we at SportsCasting see this one ending in a stalemate.
Van Nistelrooy will be desperate to get off to a strong start with the Foxes, while West Ham will be looking to provide a reaction after their collapse at the weekend, so with both sides going for it, we’re backing an action-packed score draw.
Prediction: Leicester 2-2 West Ham
