Leicester City v West Ham: Back Van Nistelrooy debut to be fun | OneFootball

English Premier League

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the new manager of Leicester City

Leicester City are under new management on Tuesday night, and Kevin Hatchard thinks their clash with West Ham will be full of entertainment...

Leicester City v West HamTuesday 3 December, 20:15Live on Amazon Prime

Van Nistelrooy aware of the task ahead

Having helped Manchester United thrash Leicester City twice in league and cup this term, Ruud van Nistelrooy knew the size of the task he was taking on by joining the Foxes, but it will have been rammed home to him by the weekend's collapse at Brentford in a 4-1 defeat. Caretaker Ben Dawson switched formation to a back three and brought Luke Thomas and Conor Coady back into the line-up, but it failed to stem the bleeding as hat-trick hero Kevin Schade ran riot.

Belgian centre-back Wout Faes looks totally bereft of confidence, and frankly doesn't seem up to this level, despite regularly featuring for his country. He is part of a team that has already leaked 27 goals in 13 games at an average of just over two per match. Had it not been for the excellence of Danish goalkeeper Mads Hermandsen (he has a +1.5 post-shot xG differential according to FBRef.com), the East Midlands team could be in even more trouble.

As it is, the former Premier League champions are a point above the relegation zone, and their next six games feature tough-looking games against Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester City. There is also opportunity though, with this clash against West Ham and a home game against fellow strugglers Wolves.

The appointment of van Nistelrooy may well work, but it is an odd move in the sense that the motivation behind it is unclear. Were Leicester simply swayed by the Dutchman's purple patch as Manchester United's caretaker boss, or have they had him on their list since his relatively brief and fractious spell at PSV? There have been suggestions that owner Khun Top was the driving force behind the move, with sporting director Jon Rudkin sidelined.

Leicester are expected to revert to a four-man backline, but Abdul Fatawu, Harry Winks and Ricardo Pereira are all still sidelined. Jannik Vestergaard is pushing for a recall at centre-back.

Lopetegui on thin ice as festive period approaches

Having decided to bring the David Moyes era at the London Stadium to an end (although Moyes himself claims some agency in that), West Ham had a big choice to make in the summer, and it's surprising that they went for a coach in Julen Lopetegui who isn't necessarily known for entertaining and attacking football. To make matters worse, the former Spain and Real Madrid boss hasn't even been able to play to those strengths, as the Hammers have leaked 24 goals in 13 Premier League games this term.

Five of those goals came in a sobering 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. Expensively-acquired Hammers defenders did a passable impression of traffic cones, as the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard cut loose. Having been hit with a touchline ban, Lopetegui was left to agonise in the stands as the horror unfolded.

Despite winning just four of their opening 13 games under Lopetegui, there is little fear that the Hammers will be dragged into a relegation battle. That said, the owners are entitled to wonder whether they should be getting more bang for their buck, having racked up a net spend of around 100 million pounds in the summer. Some of the signings have been sidelined by injury (Niclas Füllkrug has barely played), but the likes of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo have hitherto underperformed.

The run of fixtures between now and Christmas seems fairly gentle, before Liverpool and Manchester City loom on the festive horizon, and it's a spell that could define Lopetegui's tenure. Is this merely teething trouble under a new manager, or will there be further evidence that he was the wrong choice?

West Ham are boosted by the return from suspension of Mohammed Kudus, who'll be raring to go after a long ban. Konstantinos Mavropanos hopes to return after illness.

Another way to play it is to back BTTS and Jarrod Bowen to have a shot on target on the Bet Builder at around 11/10. Bowen has hit the target in eight of his 13 Premier League starts, including three of the last four. Of the 26 top-flight games Leicester and West Ham have played this season, BTTS has landed in 19.

Recommended bets

Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.8

Back BTTS and Bowen to have a shot on target @ around 11/10

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