Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

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Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

The Ruud van Nistelrooy era is up and running as Leicester City were commanding 3-1 winners over West Ham United at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening.

2024-12-03T22:35+00:00

by Sam Stevens

Published

03 Dec, 2024

from King Power Stadium

Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

The Ruud van Nistelrooy era is up and running as Leicester City were commanding 3-1 winners over West Ham United at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2024-12-03T22:35+00:00

Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

The Ruud van Nistelrooy era is up and running as Leicester City were commanding 3-1 winners over West Ham United at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2024-12-03T22:35+00:00

Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

The Ruud van Nistelrooy era is up and running as Leicester City were commanding 3-1 winners over West Ham United at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2024-12-03T22:35+00:00

Foxes Win On Van Nistelrooy's Bow

The Ruud van Nistelrooy era is up and running as Leicester City were commanding 3-1 winners over West Ham United at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2024-12-03T22:35+00:00

Jamie Vardy’s 100th home goal for the Foxes was the springboard on a vintage night in LE2. It was bumpy at times, with Julen Lopetegui’s visitors threatening in waves before the break. But Bilal El Khannouss’ first league goal for the Club gave City a cushion on the hour and it got better in added time as Patson Daka thrashed home a third. A dream start for van Nistelrooy, just four days since his appointment. Although Niclas Füllkrug’s consolation was something to show for the Hammers' travels, this is sturdy ground to build on for the new Manager in the East Midlands. It’s a result which also pushes his new side up to 15th in the Premier League table, a first three points since the middle of October, and the perfect first act of a home double-header to start this next chapter.

A new dawn is breaking in Leicester with van Nistelrooy bringing a fresh approach and new reasons for optimism. The Dutchman’s standing in the game in unquestionable – an A-list cast member of Manchester United and Real Madrid dynasties of yesteryear. A considered coaching journey through the youth levels in his homeland and a double-trophy winning campaign in PSV Eindhoven’s top-flight point to a promising future. The unbeaten four-game spell as Manchester United’s interim this term made an impression on many in the North West as well. The nature of the challenge in front of City this term, though, calls for immediate results, a reality which van Nistelrooy himself highlighted with the media this week. He spoke impressively on the importance of togetherness, a willingness to ingrain himself in the Club’s culture and to prioritise substance over style. That’s not to say work won’t be put in to finesse his own Leicester City brand of playing, we saw glimpses in this debut, but to secure his new employers’ Premier League security, points must come first for the time being.

The perfect start to a fraught contest came through a familiar source just two minutes in, although a lengthy VAR check delayed the King Power merriment. Tidy play down the left channel from Victor Kristiansen, back in the XI, gave him room to wriggle the ball into El Khannouss on the half-way line. The Moroccan shimmied into a pocket of space and threaded the ball past Konstantinos Mavropanos and through to Vardy. We’ve seen it all before, but it doesn’t take anything away – Vardy scampering forwards and clipping the ball past Łukasz Fabiański, into the far bottom corner, was Leicester City in a nutshell. The linesman’s flag was up like a shot, mind you, and the crowd, initially at least, seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was tight, certainly, and needed a forensic examination in Stockley Park. Eventually, referee Josh Smith was instructed to signal for a goal, giving van Nistelrooy an early spring in his step in the home dugout. That’s now a century of goals, in all competitions, for Vardy on home soil – a strike which also accounted for his 100th Premier League goal involvement at King Power Stadium. It was ever so nearly two for City's iconic No.9 moments later, Kristiansen this time the supplier of another cutting delivery into Vardy’s feet. Fabiański, though, was able to tip it around the base of his post.

City’s goal would live a charmed life at times, resilience was required to dampen a West Ham storm. Mohammed Kudus was frustrated by James Justin’s headed clearance, before Mads Hermansen diverted Jarrod Bowen’s low curler around the post. Danny Ings' downward header was deflected onto the post too, with Max Kilman missing the rebound. Hermansen was there again later on to get in the way of another Bowen effort, although the angle wasn’t ideal for the England forward. The away end were cheering, misguidedly, when Tomáš Souček’s header bulged the side-netting, another let-off for the Foxes. Bowen also flashed a low half-cross, half-shot across the face of goal, skidding inches wide in front of the Spion Kop. Another sterling Hermansen stop – to add to a growing collection – thwarted Bowen again on the half-volley. The nerves continued into the second half. Kudus and Souček couldn't find the target in the box for the Hammers either side of a Vardy header which hung in the air, but landed behind Fabiański's net. Kudus’ curler from the outskirts of the area glanced the back of Wilfred Ndidi’s calf as well and required Hermansen to stretch and tip it over. It was edgy, but Leicester still led.

These are the moments which can define seasons. A slice of good fortune is always appreciated as well. In the space of minutes, Leicester had gone from contemplating a changing of the tide to doubling their advantage. A high ball squirmed past Hermansen and into an empty net , although an early whistle from the referee – penalising Souček for backing into the ‘keeper – ruled it out. Van Nistelrooy was soon punching the air, toasting a flowing City counter-attack. Buonanotte’s sumptuous wide release sent Kasey McAteer on the gallop down the left flank. The Academy graduate carried it into a more central position, now in the box. His low ball was hit with just enough weight on it to reach the feet of El Khannouss, who duly slid it into the near bottom corner. Lift off for van Nistelrooy in Leicester – but there was still work to do. Ndidi’s point-blank header – saved superbly by Fabiański – would have helped the latter-stage anxiety, but wasn’t to be. Relief swelled around the ground again shortly afterwards, however, as Justin’s challenge took the sting out of Crysencio Summerville’s touch towards goal, before Conor Coady – falling back into his own net – stuck a toe out to halt its route to goal on the line.

These are the fine margins which have earned the Premier League its worldwide acclaim and managing them will be essential for van Nistelrooy’s boys in blue. Had it not been for a tight offside against Buonanotte, substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid will have been celebrating his first Foxes goal late on as well, but Daka was the man, in the end, to get City’s third, slamming the ball into the roof of the net after a superb touch took him past Kilman. Back from injury, forced to watch the season pass him by so far, the Zambian has returned and is eager to play his own role in the van Nistelrooy revolution. Füllkrug’s late hit from close range was an annoyance and nothing more for Leicester, who are looking up again now. The Dutchman has been keen to stress this will be a season which demands a lot of the Club. We've seen that already, leading to his arrival, but nights like these are where fortunes can swing. A 500th home top-flight win is the first of a new era, which has got off to the best possible start. Van Nistelrooy is up and running.

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