WSL: West Ham secure first win against depleted Leicester City

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·11 November 2024

WSL: West Ham secure first win against depleted Leicester City

West Ham hosted Leicester City on Sunday at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, where Rehanne Skinner’s side secured a 1-0 victory. The Hammers held on to bank their first win since February.

West Ham earned their first win of the Women’s Super League season, giving their home fans something to cheer about. Their victory takes their tally up to five points, now behind Leicester only on goal difference.

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Starting XIs

Leicester City

Leitzig; Nevin, Howard, Cayman, Ale, Goodwin, Cain, Kees, Chossenotte, Momiki, Mace

West Ham

Szemik; Li, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Denton, Gorry, Pavi, Siren, Asseyi, Ueki, Piubel

Asseyi on song for West Ham

Leicester threatened early on through Hannah Cain, enjoying her first WSL start in 365 days after returning from her second ACL injury. With a chance on goal, the Welsh international could only fire past the post, leaving Kinga Szemik untested.

West Ham responded through the energetic Katrina Gorry, who created space on the edge of the area but shot straight into Janina Leitzig’s gloves. The first half concluded with impressive play from West Ham’s midfield. By overloading the attacking third, they caught Leicester’s defenders off guard. Manuela Pavi delivered a perfect pass to Viviane Asseyi, who took the ball around Leitzig to score, putting the Hammers up 1-0 at the break.

The travelling Leicester fans were hoping for a response from their injury-depleted team, but the Foxes continued to struggle in attack, managing only one shot on target for the entire match. Yuka Momiki was a rare bright spot for her side.

Embed from Getty Images

West Ham, however, contained Leicester to long-distance efforts. They nearly added a second goal, but Shana Chossenotte’s tracking of Ueki forced the striker to misfire, allowing Leitzig to gather the ball with relief.

Leitzig was called into action once more, catching a strong header from a corner. The final quarter was frantic, with Leicester pushing for an equalizer, but West Ham held on to celebrate at the final whistle, securing all three points and moving into joint eighth in the table alongside Leicester and Crystal Palace.

Bright spots for the Hammers were the attacking trio of Riko Ueki, Asseyi, and Gorry, which will undoubtedly please Skinner as they head into a series of winnable matches. For Leicester, however, it’s back to the drawing board. A recruitment plan is likely needed to explore attacking transfer options for the January window, as they risk missing the progress they were hopeful about at the start of the season.