HAMMERS EXPOSE FOXES’ INDISCIPLINE
WEST HAM
Lingard 29, 44, Bowen 48
2 LEICESTER
Iheanacho 70, 90
JESSE LINGARD continued his oneman crusade to get West Ham into the Champions League with two goals in a 3-2 win over Leicester.
The midfielder took his tally to eight in nine appearances since joining on loan from Manchester United in January to help lift the Hammers back into the top four.
David Moyes’ side held off a late Leicester fightback and are now just a point behind the thirdplaced Foxes, and still on course to gatecrash Europe’s elite.
Leicester’s cause was not helped by a Covid-19 breach by some of their players, admitted boss Brendan Rodgers.
Ayoze Perez, James Maddison and Hamza Choudhury were notably left out and while Rodgers would not confirm the identity of the players involved, the Northern Irishman said: ‘I can tell you there was a breach. My objective when coming to Leicester was to create standards on and off the pitch.
‘The standards fell way below what we would expect. The guys would have been in the squad but as a consequence they weren’t.
‘It wasn’t ideal but that’s how strongly I felt. From a personal perspective I was bitterly disappointed. But it’s a mistake that they’ve made and I won’t hold it against them.’
Lingard scored twice in the first half, the opener a superb volley from the edge of the box, and Jar
rod Bowen added a third after the break to put the hosts in control.
But the Hammers have found 3-0 leads hard to hold on to lately, having been pegged back to 3-3 by Arsenal and then clinging on for a 3-2 win at Wolves last Monday.
This time Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice to set up another tense finish, and Wesley Fofana headed a last-gasp chance wide to
the relief of manager David Moyes. ‘I’m disappointed with the way we finished the game. We’ve got to get out of the habit of going 3-0 up and conceding goals,’ said Moyes.
‘But overall I’m thrilled with the results we’re getting. If before the game you’d offered me 3-2 against the team third in the league and going for the Champions League I’d have snapped your hand off.’