Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of his first game as Leicester City manager against West Ham United.
Leicester City vs West Ham United best bets
- Leicester to win – 71/25 with SBK
- Over 2.5 goals – 4/7 with SBK
- Jamie Vardy to score any time – 93/30 with SBK
Leicester City vs West Ham United odds
Find the latest match odds for Leicester City vs West Ham United. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Leicester City vs West Ham United predictions
Ruud van Nistelrooy had a watching brief when Leicester City took on Brentford on Saturday. Suffice to say, the new Leicester manager will not have liked what he saw.
The visitors to the Gtech Community Stadium actually got off to a good start, as Facundo Buonanotte gave them the lead with 21 minutes on the clock. Unfortunately for Leicester, that was as good as it got.
Two quick-fire goals from Yoann Wissa and Kevin Schade turned it around for Brentford before half-time. After the interval, Schade completed his hat-trick to give the Bees a handsome 4-1 win. If he did not know it before, Van Nistelrooy must now realise that he has a big job on his hands.
Leicester dispensed with Steve Cooper after a 2-1 loss to Chelsea the weekend before last. The Welshman will argue he was not given enough time to put his own stamp on the team he inherited from Enzo Maresca, but performances had been poor and Cooper failed to win over the fans.
Van Nistelrooy feels like a slightly risky pick to succeed him. He does have managerial experience, but his only previous job at PSV lasted for just one season.
The former Manchester United striker has never coached a side like Leicester, who are one of the weakest in their league. One cannot help but feel that David Moyes would have been a safer choice given Leicester’s predicament.
There might be one or two West Ham fans pining for Moyes, who departed the London Stadium over the summer. His replacement Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after an underwhelming start to his tenure.
West Ham were thrashed 5-2 by Arsenal last time out, a result which has left them just six points above the bottom three. The style of football is not much better than that which Moyes served up, while West Ham have been too easy to play against too often. A defeat here would leave Lopetegui vulnerable.
Equally, Leicester will feel this is a match they need to win. They may be outside the bottom three right now, but in terms of overall displays the Foxes have been one of the weakest teams in the league after 13 games. Van Nistelrooy must change that – and fast.
Leicester City vs West Ham United betting tips
Two teams at the wrong end of the Premier League table will lock horns on Tuesday night.
Leicester to win
West Ham United turned in a controlled and professional performance in their last away game, as they ran out 2-0 winners against Newcastle United.
The 5-2 defeat by Arsenal will have put a dent in their confidence, however, while that win at St James’ Park may have had more to do with their opponents’ shortcomings than anything else.
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Leicester have not been great this season. Only Southampton and Ipswich Town fare worse for expected goals difference, a measure of the quality of chances a team creates and concedes.
Yet there is something flaky about this West Ham team. Leicester will have the King Power Stadium behind them on Wednesday, while the players will be desperate to impress their new manager.
Van Nistelrooy can kick-start his tenure with a victory in this one.
Back Leicester to win at 71/25 with SBK
Over 2.5 goals
Although Cooper’s football was seen as defensive and negative by Leicester fans, the Foxes have a poor record when it comes to keeping the ball out of their own net.
Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have had their backline breached more often than Leicester, who are shipping an average of more than two goals per game.
For all their troubles, West Ham do possess plenty of attacking quality. Jarrod Bowen should be playing in Europe, while Lucas Paqueta’s talent is clear for all to see and Mohammed Kudus is available again after suspension.
They are much less convincing at the back, as Saturday’s shellacking by Arsenal demonstrated. We fancy at least three goals at the King Power.
Choose over 2.5 goals at 4/7 with SBK
Jamie Vardy to score any time
Back in 2015, Jamie Vardy broke a record previously held by Van Nistelrooy when he scored in an 11th consecutive Premier League game. Now the two men are united in their desire to keep Leicester up.
Vardy is not as quick as he once was, but the 37-year-old – who surely must go down as Leicester’s greatest ever player – remains a pest to play against.
Vardy has chipped in with a respectable four goals so far and he seems to have struck up a good relationship with Buonanotte, whose strike he assisted against Brentford.
West Ham have the fourth-worst defensive record in the division and Vardy will relish the opportunity to test Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Do not be surprised if the evergreen striker is the difference-maker here.
Select Jamie Vardy to score any time at 93/30 with SBK
How to watch Leicester City vs West Ham United
- Location: King Power Stadium, Leicester, England.
- Date and time: Tuesday 3rd December, 8.15pm.
- How to watch: Amazon Prime Video.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
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- Premier League relegation odds
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About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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