In the same way that one victory over Arsenal did not mean West Ham United were going to win the league, one defeat to Leicester City does not mean they are going to go down. As Claudio Ranieri pointed out after his Leicester side made it two wins out of two, it is far too early to be drawing conclusions. “These six points help us to achieve our goal,” Leicester’s new manager said. “Our goal is to maintain the Premier League. It’s not important to be top of the league now, it’s important to achieve 40 or 42 points.”
Do not soar too high in victory, do not slump too low in defeat. They were level-headed words from the Italian, although the way Leicester have sprinted out of the blocks has soothed fears that their decision to sack Nigel Pearson during the summer would backfire. Leicester are flying. They have won nine matches since the start of April and only Chelsea have beaten them during that run.
Even so, if there was one nagging concern about West Ham after their win at Arsenal, it was that both their goals could be attributed to goalkeeping errors from Petr Cech rather than scintillating attacking play. It was a classic away performance from Slaven Bilic’s side, a smash-and-grab that did not lessen the need for them to make more reinforcements in attack before the transfer window shuts.
The visit of Leicester provided them with a different challenge. The onus was on West Ham to break the visitors down and they were plodding and uninspired during a dismal first half. Their lack of natural width made them easy to defend against and left their full-backs exposed when Leicester broke, while Dimitri Payet was stifled in his free role behind the front two.
Payet has started well after his arrival from Marseille and scored his first goal for West Ham in the second half, but the Frenchman cannot do everything on his own. He needs help. Although Mauro Zárate scored against Arsenal – Cech should have saved his shot from 25 yards – he contributed nothing against Leicester. Sam Allardyce did not like Zárate and, while Bilic has given him the chance of a fresh start, the impression is that the Argentinian does not have the end product to match his individualistic streak.
Another Argentinian creator started on the bench and there is no guarantee that Manuel Lanzini will settle in England after joining West Ham on loan from al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi. West Ham are not overflowing with options in attack and Leicester’s centre-backs, Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, could focus on quelling Diafra Sakho. Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia are out with knee injuries. Modibo Maïga, who has scored three league goals for West Ham in the past three years, is Bilic’s only other fit striker.
Bilic could do with a new forward and another creative player. Manchester United’s Javier Hernández, Queens Park Rangers’ Charlie Austin and Tottenham Hotspur’s Emmanuel Adebayor have featured in their thinking. West Ham could also intensify their attempts to sign a new goalkeeper after Adrián was sent off in stoppage time for a dangerous challenge on Jamie Vardy. Darren Randolph, Adrián’s deputy, has not impressed since joining from Birmingham City in the summer.
“We are not going to panic,” Bilic said. “Before the game we had a few forward targets and if they become available, then we try to be active. If it happens, then it is going happen, but we aren’t going to just buy. We are trying to get maybe two players here to add to our squad. Other quality players, creative players to add to our squad.
“Some of our players are taking more responsibility, they want every ball and all that. For some it was hard today.”
Leicester’s attack had more zip and menace. They fully deserved to be 2-0 up at half-time. Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez flew down the wings and Vardy and Shinji Okazaki were a handful for West Ham’s centre-backs. Vardy set up Okazaki’s opener in the 27th minute and the outstanding Mahrez thumped in the decisive second in the 38th minute.
It was Okazaki’s first goal for Leicester after joining them from Mainz this summer. The Japanese striker was prolific in the Bundesliga and the 29-year-old’s deft movement and ability to find space in the area worked well alongside Vardy’s bustling, selfless running up front. Despite his caution, Ranieri was delighted.
Man of the match Riyad Mahrez (Leicester)
