Leicester City and West Ham United will clash at the King Power Stadium on match week 14 of the Premier League in early December. 

As of the time of writing, Leicester City have 10 points from 11 games and are placed 15th on the log. West Ham United have garnered 12 points from the same number of games and they are placed 14th. 

Leicester City, one of the newly promoted teams before the start of this campaign, have a lot of work to do, and they will be looking to get a major win against one of the sides slightly above them on the log. On the other hand, West Ham United are keen to pull away from the teams in the drop zone.

The foxes dominated the Championship last term as they returned to the elite division under the guidance of Maresca. As expected, the Premier League has been tough for them but they have had some terrific games by picking a point off Tottenham and defeating Bournemouth for their first Premier League win. It seems Steve Cooper’s side are not in great shape at the moment as of the time of writing and they will need to step up if they do not want to worry about going down early.

Leicester City lost players following their promotion back to the Premier League. Veteran Marc Albrighton, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Dennis Praet were released after the season, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left for Chelsea in a deal worth €35.40m. 

In terms of the arrivals, electric winger Issahaku Fatawu, who was on loan last term, made his move permanent for €17.00m but is now ruled out with injury for the season, Caleb Okoli joined from Atalanta for €14.00m. In contrast, Bobby De Cordova-Reid joined the club on a free transfer after the expiration of his contract at Fulham. Forward Jordan Ayew joined the team from Crystal Palace, and Oliver Skipp made a big move from Tottenham to the King Power Stadium. Odsonne Edouard also signed for them from Crystal Palace on loan. 

Having replaced Maresca, it has taken time for Cooper to get going with the team, and this is understandable. However, there will be no excuses if they fail to get quality results that will improve their chances of survival by the end of the season. The atmosphere at the King Power Stadium has been electric, but it needs a run of massive results to keep the fire alive. 

In mid-November, Defender James Justin believes there is more to come from City, who are returning to the division.

“We’re just scratching the surface,” the one-time England international commented. “We have a lot of ambition as a team and as a club, but at the same time, you have to be realistic because there is quite a big difference in the quality between the Championship and the Premier League.

“There’s only been 10 or 11 games so far and I think we’re in 15th. We’re looking forward to it and we have goals other than staying in the league, which is first and foremost. You have to take the points when you can get them and to be in the position that we’re in now is a steady start,” the defender concluded. 

Leicester City have drawn four and lost five of their opening 11 Premier League games this season. They have been unfortunate in some games but they need to do better with closing out games if they want to stay up. In the past four games in all competitions, they are without a win. Meanwhile, Leicester City have won 9 times in their past 21 meetings with West Ham United.

On the other hand, West Ham United are keen to make an impression after a poor start to the season. Lopetegui’s side has been expansive in their play but results have eluded them. They have already lost to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, and Chelsea in the Premier League this season, and here is a chance for them to redeem themselves. 

Since then, they have started grinding out some results, but they have hit a rock once again. The Hammers have won two of their past four games – losing the other two. Now that there will be no international break until the new year, the Spanish manager and his team will be aiming for more consistency as they hope to climb away from the drop zone.

Match tickets

The epic match at King Power Stadium in Leicester kicks off on Tuesday 3rd December 2024, at 20:15 UK time.

The 32,262-capacity stadium with its electrifying atmosphere will host the Premier League clash between the Foxes and the Hammers.

Getting Leicester City vs West Ham United tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels. 

Team news

Lineups

Well, Leicester kept a good number of their squad that helped them gain promotion. Manager Cooper is expected to still field some of them in this contest. As of the time of writing, Patson Daka remains a huge doubt for this home game, while Abdulfatawu Issahaku is set for an extended time on the sidelines. 

However, Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who has been impressive this term, should keep his place for this game, Wout Faes and Vestergaard are expected to start at the heart of the defence. In the attack, changes might be seen based on the players available.

Leicester City XI: Mads Hermansen; James Justin, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, Victor Kristiansen; Wilfred Ndidi, Harry Winks, Bubakary Soumare; Jamie Vardy, Jordan  Ayew, Facundo Buonanotte. 

As of the time of writing, Mohammed Kudus (suspension), Edson Alvarez (suspension), Nicals Fullkrug (injured) are some of the players unavailable at the moment. However, the two players on suspension should be back for this trip. Barring any issues, they should be listed for this game, while the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek are the other regulars expected to play a part in this encounter.  

West Ham United XI: Lukasz Fabianski; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Emerson Palmieri; Guido Rodriguez; Crysencio Summerville, Lucas Paqueta, Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen; Michail Antonio.

Prediction

Both teams are separated by just two points on the log, which shows how close they are at the moment. The Foxes have been able to win two Premier League games this season, while the Hammers have won three. 

Based on form, they are not far from each other and that could be a major factor in deciding who will take the day at the end of 90 minutes. Leicester City have drawn twice and lost twice at home this term and this is another opportunity to get their second home win of the season. For the fans, getting your Leicester City tickets early is important.

Meanwhile, West Ham United have also won just once on the road this season. The Hammers have been disappointing but they still possess a squad that can beat any of the mid-table teams on their good day. 

Leicester City 2-2 West Ham United