Match ends, West Ham United 2, Leicester City 0.
West HamWest Ham United2LeicesterLeicester City0
- Goals from Carroll and Downing give West Ham the win
- Hammers unbeaten in seven home Premier League games
- Leicester manager Pearson on touchline for Foxes
- West Ham remain fourth, Leicester stay bottom
West Ham remain fourth in the Premier League after beating a Leicester side who are without a win in 12 games.
Andy Carroll put the home side ahead, pouncing on a poor backpass from ex-Hammer Paul Konchesky before dinking the ball over the on-rushing Ben Hamer.
Stewart Downing doubled the hosts' advantage with a curling 20-yard shot.
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian denied David Nugent and Leonardo Ulloa late on as the Foxes suffered their seventh successive away Premier League defeat.
After winning promotion and making a promising start to their top-flight campaign, Nigel Pearson's Leicester have failed to win since a spectacular 5-3 victory against Manchester United on 21 September.
The visitors never looked like earning a point after an error from Konchesky, who spent two years at Upton Park from July 2005 to July 2007, gifted Carroll a goal with an awful backpass from the halfway line.
West Ham, whose highest ever Premier League finish was fifth in the 1998-99 season, were 2-0 up 10 minutes after the break when England winger Downing produced the best moment of an otherwise scrappy match, with a wonderfully-taken curled finish for his fourth goal of the season.
Pearson, who earlier in the week was handed a one-game touchline ban, was able to take his place in the dugout as he is appealing against that decision and midway through the second half he made a triple substitution, bringing on strikers Ulloa and Nugent as well as midfielder Anthony Knockaert.
Nugent gave Leicester more of an attacking threat, shooting over from the edge of the area, before he had a close-range volley pushed away by Adrian, who later parried Ulloa's header.
But that was as good as it got for the Foxes as West Ham, who visit league leaders Chelsea on Boxing Day, closed out a deserved victory.
Leicester will be bottom of the Premier League table at Christmas and in the 22 seasons of the competition only Sunderland, last season, and West Brom, in 2004-05, have avoided relegation after being in similar positions.
| More Upton Park woe for Leicester |
|---|
| Leicester have only won once in the league in their last 28 trips to Upton Park. That victory came in the Premier League in August 2000 when Darren Eadie scored the only goal. |
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said:
"Being fourth in the Premier League is a great Christmas present for everybody at West Ham. Having 31 points before Christmas is a pretty major achievement for us.
"There is no doubt we deserved to win with the quality finishes from Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. Stewart is one of the best attacking players in the Premier League with the way he is playing, and he is getting goals on the back of that. It is a very big win for us before we have Chelsea next.
"None of Nigel Pearson's players let him down. They gave everything and when we went 2-0 up they caused us some problems. He is a very good manager and he has proved that. I hope the club are patient with him and give him some funds to spend in January."
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson said:
"The first goal we conceded was a big blow for us, the second was a quality finish from Stewart Downing and we continue to not be able to take our chances. Their goalkeeper made three saves and our players are very disappointed, but our destiny is still in our own hands.
"I can look my players in their eyes and see they are very much up for the challenge. We have seen enough positive performances to suggest we will turn it around but we have to do it soon.
"It is not a case of shirking the responsibility or sticking my head in the sand. I'm very aware of our situation, but we are capable of changing it."
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-3-1-2
- 13Adrián
- 2Reid
- 5TomkinsSubstituted forCollinsat 69'minutes
- 3Cresswell
- 18Jenkinson
- 11Downing
- 30Song
- 8Kouyaté
- 4NolanSubstituted forAmalfitanoat 87'minutes
- 9Carroll
- 15SakhoSubstituted forE Valenciaat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Zárate
- 17O'Brien
- 19Collins
- 21Amalfitano
- 22Jääskeläinen
- 24Cole
- 31E Valencia
Leicester
Formation 4-5-1
- 12Hamer
- 17Simpson
- 27Wasilewski
- 5Morgan
- 3KoncheskySubstituted forKnockaertat 62'minutes
- 26Mahrez
- 10KingBooked at 33mins
- 19CambiassoSubstituted forUlloaat 61'minutesBooked at 64mins
- 4Drinkwater
- 15Schlupp
- 9VardyBooked at 41minsSubstituted forNugentat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 2de Laet
- 7Hammond
- 8James
- 23Ulloa
- 24Knockaert
- 31Smith
- 35Nugent
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 34,977
Match Stats
Home TeamWest HamAway TeamLeicester
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away17
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Ham United 2, Leicester City 0.
Post update
Foul by Anthony Knockaert (Leicester City).
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Alexandre Song (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Winston Reid.
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Attempt saved. Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Danny Simpson with a cross.
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Offside, West Ham United. Alexandre Song tries a through ball, but Enner Valencia is caught offside.
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Winston Reid (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Morgan Amalfitano replaces Kevin Nolan.
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Attempt saved. David Nugent (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross.
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Foul by Andy Carroll (West Ham United).
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Wes Morgan (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Andy King.
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Attempt blocked. David Nugent (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Enner Valencia replaces Diafra Sakho.
Post update
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Andy King.
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Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Anthony Knockaert (Leicester City).
Post update
Cheikhou Kouyaté (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
