7am kickoff’s suck. Especially when sleep is about as consistent as a Trump press conference or rally staying on script and remaining civil. I told Iain there was no way I was going to set an alarm. And regardless of when I did eventually turn the game on using my IPad, because it’s only streaming here, I would likely watch while doing other things and do the best I can to put something up here. When my eyes popped open at 7:20am, I instinctively grabbed my phone. I saw a message from Nigel Kahn to my WhatsApp group that complimented a cross from Cresswell, and thought that was a good enough reason to check the score.
Well done Cress and Ant. Lovely cross, excellent finish.
Leicester City 0
West Ham 1
Because of my very superstitious nature, I asked permission of that WhatsApp group to turn the match on. I seriously feared that if I turned it on and things immediately went south it would be my fault. I’m not kidding. I admit I didn’t wait for the answer, although John Bucci of Moore Than Just A Podcast gave me the thumbs up right after another fantastic pass came off the boot of Cresswell, followed by an even better first touch from Fornals, followed by and even better finish from the Spaniard at a moment most of us feared he would bottle it. He did not.
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
The Hammers had a couple of other opportunities to increase their lead, including a cross from newcomer Coufal that almost found Antonio in the box and an attempted overhead kick by Antonio off a corner from Bowen. On the defensive end West Ham looked organized and disciplined. The side that put five past Manchester City had a very hard time asking even a simple question of Fabianski.
Halftime
Leicester City 0
West Ham 2
Early in the second half West Ham had a couple of chances to bag a third. The first was on a good cross from Coufal to Antonio in the box, but the Premier League goal machine’s header floated softly into the arms of Schmeichel. Moments later West Ham won a free kick 35 yards from goal. The delivery went straight to Balbuena in front of goal but his header went in a direction nowhere near the goal. A few minutes later, after a nasty challenge by Evans on Antonio, West Ham couldn’t finish a scramble inside the Leicester City eighteen yard box and the lead remained two. Moments after that Coufal sent a long pass over the top that Antonio ran down. He gathered the ball, waited for help which came in the form of Fornals, but Evans got in the way of Fornals shot and deflected it out for a corner.
West Ham should have scored a third in the 72nd minute when Rice went on what could be described as a hundred million pound run into the box. With Bowen in the middle, Rice went for power and slammed a shot off the bar.
Ya’ know, I thought Bobby Madley was the worst referee in the league before he left. Turns out it’s genetic. His brother is awful as well.
West Ham finished the job in the 82nd minute when Rice controlled the ball in the West Ham half and sprung Fornals on a counter. The new nailed on number ten for the Hammers timed a pass to Bowen with perfection running into the Leicester area. With precision and a killer instinct Bowen curled his shot around Schmeichel.
Leicester City 0
West Ham 3
What do you think Haller was thinking when he came on in the 87th minute? It’s not like he can claim he is being treated unfairly. But at the same time, I still think he is a quality forward and I’m glad we have him. I’m not used to West Ham being in such a position.
Leicester City’s day could be summed up in the 89th minute when Balbuena switched off and allowed Vardy in behind him. The consolation goal looked a certainty. Instead, the shot rolled wide of the far post. It did not even count as a shot on target, which up to that point the home side hadn’t achieved. Their frustration was compounded in added time when Barnes finally broke through the West Ham defense and after some quick passing beat Fabianski.
And then VAR said they didn’t.
Final Score
Leicester City 0
West Ham 3
It’s weird, but my brain…which is barely functional at this point….harkened back to the grey days of BFS. We do love our capital letter nicknames at West Ham, don’t we? BFS, GSB. Anyway, I remember some neutrals scornfully asking me why I wanted him out. I tried to articulate that it was possible to be sound defensively while still at least trying to score. The point, I would tell them, was to score more goals than the opponent. Not to play for a nil-nil draw. I’ve always thought Moyes was a better version of that, while also not being an antagonistic enemy of the supporters.
Today that was on full display.
Despite almost 70% possession, Leicester did not manage a single shot on target. They only could muster two off target. And West Ham easily could have scored six, and should have had four with Rice’s blast off the woodwork. Cresswell, who has been chided mercilessly on social media, was a strong candidate for Man Of The Match, and my football app actually gave it to him. Heck, Coufal looked like he had been around for ages, making a superb overhead kick to simply deny Leicester a chance to counter late in the match. Balbuena was solid and will keep Diop on he bench for a bit it seems. Ogbonna was immense, and showed why he received the call from his country to put on the famous blue jersey again. Unless of course they wear the white one that day, but that’s besides the point. You know what I mean.
In such difficult times, to be handed some fun and unfettered joy by your football club is a gift.
Thanks West Ham. We appreciate it.