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Jesse Lingard scored twice before West Ham resisted a Leicester City comeback to regain fourth place, one point behind Leicester

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Sun 11 Apr 2021 11.32 EDTFirst published on Sun 11 Apr 2021 08.05 EDT
Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen.
Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen. Photograph: Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United/REX/Shutterstock
Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen. Photograph: Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United/REX/Shutterstock

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I guess that’s about us. That was a really fun game – for the neutral – and at the end of it, West Ham and Jesse Lingard match on. Thanks all for your company and comments – ta-ra.

Looking at the table, a win for Manchester United at Spurs today, and they’re surely impregnable in second place. Behind them, though, should Spurs in this afternoon, they’ll be three points behind West Ham and four behind Leicester, with Chelsea and Liverpool in between them. I’ve no idea how this will pan out, but if I was Brendan Rodgers I’d be bricking it.

West Ham, though. What an incredible season they’re having, and what an incredible job David Moyes has done and is doing. There’s an idea that football progresses, and in a way it does, but stuff that worked 10 years ago will still work now ... if you’ve got the right manager and the right players. West Ham have that, and that’s why we’re seeing what we’re seeing: solid defence, pace out wide, some attacking flair and lots of effort. It can be a complex game if you want it to be, but it can also be a simple game and that will never change.

That was an extremely enjoyable affair, as Deidre Barlow said to Mike Baldwin. Leicester will know that, though they came close to taxing a point, they played nowhere near well enough for one and will need to improve if they’re to do improve on last season’s league finish, never mind win the cup. They’ll be better with Maddison back, but I can’t help but wonder if the need to pick Vardy is holding them back.

BREAKING: James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury didn't play today because they breached Covid regulations

More news as we get it.

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Full-time: West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City

A breathless, coruscating, intense match finally finishes, and West Ham are back above Liverpool and Chelsea in fourth place, a point behind Leicester who remain third. There’s a lot going on here.

90+6 min A West Ham head flicks it beyond the back post but the ball comes back and Fofana’s up! But he heads wide! That’s surely it?!

90+6 min This is magnificent, pure, uncut, Barclays and Leicester win another corner! Back comes Schmeichel!

90+4 min But West Ham get it away while, on the touchline, a livid Moe Szyslak David Moyes screams and waves his backline forward.

90+3 min It’s a weird one this, because there’s been no onslaught. Leicester have huffed and puffed but not created much ... and yet here we are. In the stands, Declan Rice is all over the place, and Leicester win a corner!

GOAL! West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City (Iheanacho 90+1)

Albrighton, who’s been lively since coming on, takes up another good position down the right and sticks another good ball into the middle. It kicks off Masuaku and bounces beautifully into the path of the onrushing Iheanachi, who underlines his burgeoning relevance by snapping into a terrific finish, on the burst and on the league. Are West Ham going to westham it again?

It’s on! Photograph: John Walton/Reuters
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89 min Alan Smith picks Bowen as his man of the match, partly because he can’t be arsed giving it Lingard again. I can’t quibble with that too much given how well he played, but he the key and decisive contributions were not his.

88 min Hello! Albrighton takes a lovely touch to control the ball just outside the box, right-hand side, and diddles both Balbuena and Masuaku ... but runs out of space, the latter coming back to rob him from behind.

87 min Thomas hits a long, straight ball seeking Vardy, but Fabiaski, who’s been quietly excellent today, is right on the edge of his box and ready to collect.

85 min I wonder if Rodgers has missed a trick in playing Tielemans so deep. When Leicester have more players available, having someone with his creativity in front of the back four is a huge advantage, but with so little in front of him, I think he might be best deployed nearer the opponent’s goal.

84 min Now Benrahma gets his chance, on for Bowen who’s had a really good afternoon. I like him a lot - he’s positive, strong and not scared, a typical Moyes player.

84 min Leicester win a corner down the right which Albrighton swings out, but Fellaini Soucek heads clear.

82 min Johnson replaces Noble, who Moyes will be desperate to get patched up for Newcastle away next Saturday.

80 min A fine reverse-pass from Tielemans sends Ricardo into the box and he’s one-on-one with the keeper! But his first touch forces him to go around Fabianski, who does brilliantly to insert an arm, poking the ball away. VAR has a look but the challenge was fine.

79 min Said Benrahma has been waiting to come on for a while - I think that’s a good change because West Ham need to keep their attacking threat not invite pressure. But he’s then told to sit down, with Johnson asked to ready himself instead.

78 min Noble goes off to stand at the side, but West Ham get the corner away without him. Noble must’ve landed on an arm because he’s walking with a sort of limp on his right side, letting it dangle by his side.

Mark Noble goes off injured. Photograph: Getty Images
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76 min Leicester push again, Tielemans driving a shot from the edge of the box in front of which Noble flings his frame. He stays down for a while, whitewash from the line all over his phizog, but hell be fine I think. It’s no more than what Ronnie, Reggie and Gary Hobbs would’ve done, all of whom love their old mum.

75 min “I have been talking up Robert Caro for decades,” returns Mary Waltz, “and very few people here in the States have taken me up on it. Never thought a UK football website would be the place where someone would take me up on my recommendation. If you like the Power Broker you will be floored with Caro’s LBJ series. It reveals the beauty and the horror of America in one man.”

Yup, I actually first came to Caro via David Runciman’s essential Talking Politics pod, and referred to it in a blog which is how we got to Caro. One day, I hope to get to it’s 5,902 volumes.

73 min Bowen drives over halfway and Ndidi, who’s already been booked, trips him. I don’t want every foul to be a yellow card, but I’m extremely unsure how that - cynical and late – isn’t worth one.

72 min I said it earlier, but Iheanacho is developing from poacher to player in front of our eyes. He’s been Leicester’s liveliest and likeliest today, again.

WHAT A GOAL! West Ham United 3-1 Leicester City (Iheanacho 70)

Well then! Ricardo nashes in on Masuaku and robs him then finds Iheanacho, who does really well to adjust feet as the ball’s on its way, also suggesting that he’ll let it run across him and move across the face of the box. But instead he slaps a rasper past Dawson and Fabianksi, and do we got ourselves a ball-game?

Leicester pull a goal back. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC/Getty Images
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69 min Albrighton drives a ball towards the far post but Vardy can make nothing of it. I’m being wise after the event, but I wonder if he’s got to start given the aforementioned absences and two strikers needing serving.

68 min Those injuries were especially cruel as both men were playing better than they’d ever done before.

67 min Leicester had a good few minutes but couldn’t create much, and West Ham have righted themselves. A goal for the visitors would still liven things up, but it’s not looking especially likely – they’re missing the craft of Maddison and incision of Barnes badly.

65 min West Ham win a free-kick 30 yards out, left of centre with Noble and Lingard behind him; good luck, Mark old mate. Shonuff, he quickly moves away and the man of the month flips a tasty-looking searcher to the back post, where Schmeichel does well to collect on the leap.

63 min “Pep or Klopp’s high press attack, attack attack,” says Mary Waltz. “Or Jose’s low block score a goal, strangling out the rest of the game, joyless yet silverware producing master tactics? Or how about the neanderthal bash it down route one and run like hell and knock in the goal? It makes for a very short book but today it looks like a genius tactic.”

I think that’s harsh on Moyes - the way he’s deployed his attacking players but Lingard in particular, has been very smart. When you watch West Ham play, you can see they know what they’re doing.

62 min Leicester win a corner down the left which makes its way over to Ndidi on the far side of the box. His first attempt at controlling it is poor, but he regains possession and from 10 yards out, swipes a decent opportunity over the bar.

60 min I wonder if, with Maddison and Perez back, Leicester will revert to 4-3-3. If they do, there’ll need to be a decision made about Vardy, who’s not paying well enough to keep his place but who remains likely to score at Wembley.

59 min Leicester look more dangerous now than at any other time in the match, which of course leaves them in danger of conceding again on the counter. Meantime, we see a replay of Dawson accidentally catching Vardy; no pen, says VAR.

57 min Leicester really need to get a hold of themselves here, because a proper tumping would be catastrophic for them – not just for their league prospects but for their cup semi next weekend. Southampton is no gimme, but you’d take it if offered.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/REX/Shutterstock
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56 min “Just come from the garden to the MBM,” brags Geoff Wignall, “and re, ‘ ... Lingard, who snaps it from around his right arse-cheek – it’s slightly behind him – on the half-volley ...’ - do you mean he hit it on the bounce or was he sitting on his arse ? A half volley being as the ball bounces, as per a rugby drop kick and as used in tennis, cricket and, well everything.”

I mean he hit it on the bounce.

GOAL! West Ham United 4-0 Leicester City (Diop)

West Ham take a free-kick quickly, out to Lingard down the right, and he jigs about on his his dancing feet before picking out Diop at the far post who heads across Schmeichel and in off the post. The ref gives it, but I think it’ll be disallowed for offside.

53 min I wonder how much money West Ham will have to give Man United for Lingard, in addition to Declan Rice.

51 min “I can’t allow West Ham to take the title of everyone’s favourite second team away from homelyTM Fulham and the iconicTM Cottage,” says Richard Hirst. “Especially not West Ham, who I’ve never forgiven for the 1975 Cup Final.”

I think affection for Fulham is basically affection for the ground and boozers in its locale. I’m not sure there’s much footballing basis to it.

50 min Cresswell goes down after winning a header with apparent hamstring grief sustained on landing. But the physio treats it like it’s cramp, so hopefully he’ll be good to carry on.

GOAL! West Ham United 3-0 Leicester City (Bowen 48)

Well! Masuaku wins the ball high when Iheancho’s touch is heavy and he finds Lingard at inside-left. A touch to control and a pass inside for Soucek; a touch to control and a pass inside for Bowen; a touch to control and pass past Schmeichel. They’ve worked and taken that absolutely beautifully, and this is o-v-e-r.

Jarrod Bowen scores for the third the Hammers. Photograph: John Walton/Reuters
All too easy for West Ham. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Reuters
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