KASPER A REAL KEEPER
MARC ALBRIGHTON has told football’s big guns to forget about trying to nick Kasper Schmeichel.
The Leicester goalkeeper is in the form of his life right now.
Dane Schmeichel was the Champions League hero for the Foxes against Sevilla, saving a penalty in each leg as they made their way to the quarter-finals.
And he pulled off several stops against the Hammers that had to be seen to be believed – including one at the death when Andy Carroll was clean through.
Winger Albrighton, who weighed in with two assists, said: “Over the two legs against Sevilla, he was the main factor in us winning the tie – and he’s won us this game as well.
Plaudits
“He pulled off two or three saves where I thought he had no chance and things like that weren’t going for us at the start of the year.
“He is rightly getting recognition now as one of the top keepers in Europe and he deserves the plaudits. Teams will probably come sniffing for him but not many could afford him.
“It’s fantastic to play in front of him. Defenders know that if they are breached, it’s like having an insurance policy to fall back on.”
Schmeichel was a spectator early on when goals from Riyad Mahrez and Robert Huth put the Foxes 2-0 up within seven minutes.
Manuel Lanzini pulled one back with a sublime free-kick that even Schmeichel had no chance with, but Jamie Vardy’s poacher’s third saw the home side booed off at the break.
It was all West Ham in the second half, though, with Andre Ayew’s header making it 3-2. But Schmeichel refused to be beaten again and Leicester hung on to make it four wins out of four under new boss Craig Shakespeare.
As importantly, it was the champions’ first away win in 11 months.
Albrighton added: “For some reason things were not quite clicking into place, but hopefully we’ve put that to bed now.”
West Ham dropped to 12th but are in no immediate danger. However fans aren’t happy, prompting an apology from chairman David Sullivan.
“To be 2-0 down after seven minutes of any football match, be it in the Premier League or in your local Sunday League, makes it very difficult to get a positive result,” he said.
“The next few games now become vital for our season. We go to Hull City, then to Arsenal, before we welcome Swansea City to London Stadium.”
The Hammers paid Southampton £8m in WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Randolph 7; Byram 6, Fonte 6, Reid (Snodgrass 18, 6 6), Cresswell (Masuaku 73); Obiang 6 (Fernandes Kouyate 67, 6), 6; Ayew 6, LANZINI 7, Antonio 6. Subs: 7; Carroll Adrian, Collins, Nordtveit, Feghouli. UP NEXT: Hull (a) Premier League, Saturday April 1. LEICESTER (4-4-1-1): SCHMEICHEL 8; Simpson 6, Huth 7, Benalouane Mahrez 6, Fuchs 6; 7 (Chilwell 87), Ndidi 6, Drinkwater 6, Albrighton 7; Okazaki 5 (Musa 76); Vardy 6 (Slimani 76). Subs: Zieler, King, Amartey, Gray. UP NEXT: Stoke (h) Premier League, Saturday April 1. REFEREE: Roger East 7. YOUR TURN: Which striker scored his first goal for Leicester in their 2-1 win at West Ham in August 2015?