Same old sad story from the set-piece as Hammers hit back in added time
AN INJURY-TIME equaliser denied Leicester City a moraleboosting victory and kept the pressure on Brendan Rodgers.
A familiar failing cost City with Craig Dawson bundling in a corner as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, with replays showing it was the centre-back’s arm that put the ball in the net, with the new sleeve-line rule counting in his favour.
That goal ensured City’s best half of football was not rewarded with three points, with their winless run extending to five matches in all competitions, their longest under Rodgers in his three years at the club.
Ricardo Pereira’s first goal in two years looked to have earned victory over the Champions League-chasing Hammers, the Portuguese heading in Harvey Barnes’ cross midway through a second period in which they controlled the game and played some excellent football.
It was much improved from a first half in which they needed Aaron Cresswell’s handball to give them a lifeline from the penalty spot, Youri Tielemans netting to cancel out Jarrod Bowen’s opener.
A draw does end West Ham’s recent run of wins over City, but with no victory for Rodgers’ side, they remain in the bottom half.
After dropping Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu, and Barnes for the defeat to Liverpool, all three returned against West Ham, Rodgers perhaps feeling one game out of the side was lesson enough for the Nottingham Forest debacle.
Also coming into the side in the fourth and final change was Ricardo, the full-back starting for the first time since breaking his leg in December.
With Soyuncu back in, Ndidi was pushed into midfield. But with Ademola Lookman and Marc Albrighton two of those left out, James Maddison had to take up a spot on the right-hand side in a 4-5-1 formation.
There were perhaps more eyes on the West Ham line-up though, with the furore around Kurt Zouma and his mistreatment of his cats. David Moyes has continued to select him, and the Frenchman was in the starting line-up originally, booed mercilessly by the home fans during the warmup.
But then he started limping, with the Hammers announcing 15 minutes before kick-off that he was feeling unwell, and would be replaced by Issa Diop.
Once the game started, the focus could turn to the football. But there wasn’t much to be had in the swirling rain, with the first half very stop-start, with plenty of players going down with injuries.
But after 10 minutes of extremely little happening, West Ham scored. And infuriatingly, it was a carbon-copy of several goals they have scored past City in recent seasons.
A long ball was launched forward from the Hammers defence and Bowen raced off James Justin to latch onto it, the in-form winger played onside by Daniel Amartey.
With the ball bouncing, he struck sweetly into the bottom corner. While it was poor defending, it was an excellent finish.
The problem that City now had was that West Ham could settle into their shape and protect their lead. This led to City knocking it around their defence, incapable of finding a way through the West Ham lines and into their half. With 15 minutes played, the home crowd were growing restless.
What changed the feeling in the crowd was a forceful DewsburyHall
tackle in the middle of the park. It was the first time a City player had shown any desire, and it won the fans over. From the tackle, Tielemans’ long ball nearly finding Patson Daka.
City then had to cope with more injury misfortune as James Justin limped off, Luke Thomas replacing him, and the crowd had to deal with more poor play on the ball, simple passes going astray.
But as the half wore on, they started to find gaps. First Ricardo and Tielemans played a one-two, the Belgian firing wide. Then, after Thomas intercepted, Harvey Barnes curled a shot over.
But really, the goal that ensured City went into half-time level was a gift. Aaron Cresswell bizarrely and blatantly stuck out his elbow in an attempt to clear a corner, leaving Michael Oliver with little choice but to point to the spot.
Tielemans stepped up, as he has done a few times this season,
WINLESS RUN OF RODGERS’ CITY REIGN
found the corner from the penalty spot.
He celebrated with the passion that might not be expected of a player whose future is in serious doubt, but Rodgers has never questioned his commitment while he is here, even if he might not be beyond the season.
Cresswell had a chance to redeem himself before the break, but scuffed a shot wide in a warning to City at the space they were leaving on their right-hand side.
The start to the second half was much more lively, and James Maddison wildly blazed over after Barnes’ cross caused trouble.
Then, at the other end, Bowen did not connect properly when a cross rolled his way.
But this was a much better performance from City, and Tielemans started to dictate play, while Barnes was enjoying plenty of opportunities to get by Vladimir Coufal on City’s left.
One step-over and cross nearly saw Daka slide in and finish at the back post.
That raised the noise levels inside the stadium and City’s intensity on the pitch reached another level.
Again, Tielemans played a ball across to Barnes, who this time stood up a cross, with Ricardo flying into the box and leaping to get his head on the ball, directing it into the top corner. It was the first time he had scored since a 1-0 win over Birmingham in March 2020, the game before he suffered his serious knee injury.
Seeing the joy Barnes was getting, City were finding him at every possible opportunity, and he was able to play the ball back for Tielemans to shoot, the effort flying just over.
West Ham had created nothing at all, but started to build pressure in the final 10 minutes, substitute Said Benrahma firing at Kasper Schmeichel.
But with that, more space was created for City, and Ademola Lookman, off the bench, danced inside and nearly got a third.
City had defended set-pieces well all game, and they then introduced Jannik Vestergaard’s big frame to help them further. But it did not pay off. Vestergaard got caught under a ball, Amartey lost Dawson, and the ball hit his arm and bounced over Barnes to find the net.
It was the third game in a row that City had conceded from a set-piece, but this was the most infuriating of the lot, given it denied them a victory their play probably deserved.
But their failure to correct a fundamental issue will keep holding them back, and they will miss out on more deserved victories because of it.