Cheikh makes a point as Moyes gets off mark
CHEIKHOU KOUYATE went from villain to hero to hand West Ham a lifeline in their first home game under David Moyes.
Trailing to an early goal from Marc Albrighton, Senegal midfielder Kouyate made up for missing a sitter in Sunday’s defeat at Watford to get the Hammers back in it.
But it was a nightmare start again for Moyes.
His side fell behind after 11 minutes against the Hornets before going on to lose 2-0.
This time it took just eight minutes for the Hammers to concede and there was not a tackle in sight as Albrighton fired the visitors in front.
Smashed=
Demarai Gray had time and space to collect a Christian Fuchs throw-in and play in Jamie Vardy down the left.
And the England striker waited patiently until he could pick out the runners in the box with an unimpeded cross which went straight through Angelo Ogbonna’s legs.
Albrighton could not believe his luck and smashed it home past Joe Hart for his first goal of the season.
That brought cheeky cries of “Going down” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from the away fans, who were clearly loving every minute of it.
It was the fourth time in six matches that West Ham had conceded to the first shot on target they had faced, and it silenced an already quiet home crowd.
At least the Hammers showed some fight though. Often branded lazy, Marko Arnautovic tracked back to rob Vardy with a fine saving tackle, and Ogbonna went close with a header.
And Kouyate, dragged West Ham back level just before half-time.
He didn’t make the cleanest connection with a Lanzini corner but it was enough to beat Kasper Schmeichel as it went in off Danny Simpson.
Suddenly there was an atmosphere, and the Hammers fans kept it going into the second half, with their much-maligned home sounding louder than it has done in months.
It lifted the players too, with Arthur Masuaku, who was in for Mark Noble, racing away down the left to force Schmeichel into a save.
The Hammers began to dominate but lost the impressive Arnautovic to what looked like a knee injury.
He tried to carry on after lengthy treatment but eventually was forced to come off.
Next it was Winston Reid’s turn to go down but he too was quickly back into the action as Leicester retreated further and further into their shell. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Hart; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Obiang, Kouyate; Arnautovic, Lanzini, Masuaku; Carroll. Subs: Adrian, Sakho, Noble, Ayew, Fernandes, Quina, Rice. LEICESTER (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Ndidi, Iborra; Gray, Mahrez, Albrighton; Vardy. Subs: Hamer, Chilwell, Iheanacho, King, Dragovic, Slimani, Okazaki. Referee: Martin Atkinson.