Will Leicester get their third away draw in a row?
Two teams level on points meet at the London Stadium next Saturday. The home Hammers welcome the visitors from Leicester and the winner of this match will be tempted to jump into the secure midfield, while the loser will have to look towards the lower regions of the table. The visitors have certainly had the better run in recent weeks, while the home side have to contend with the double burden.
Leicester City made a complete mess of their league start and found themselves with their backs against the wall early on. But in the last few weeks, the Foxes stabilised more and more and managed to leave the relegation places.
With a win on the last matchday before the World Cup in Qatar, the Blue and Whites now want to finally say goodbye to the bottom of the table. However, the bookmakers are sceptical and offer odds of 3.70 for bets on the Foxes in the West Ham vs Leicester match.
The home side’s run has been very similar. The men from London’s East End also struggled to get going in the league, conceding three defeats in their first three games. But the Bordeaux Reds regained the confidence they needed to fight their way back into mid-table in the Premier League by winning the Conference League. We’ll find out which team takes the next step next weekend when the whistle blows in London on Saturday at 16:00.
West Ham – Statistics & current form
The Hammers crowned last season with a seventh-place finish and qualification for the Europa Conference League. Internationally, things are going well this year, but in the league, the hosts are still far behind their own expectations. With a win over the Foxes, they should at least reach a secure midfield position.
From the first fourteen match days, the Bordeaux Reds have picked up four wins and two draws. With a total of fourteen points, West Ham currently occupy fifteenth place in the standings. The lead over Southampton, who currently occupy the first relegation spot, is just two points. Based on recent results, there is reason enough to be concerned about head coach David Moyes’ side.
West Ham with negative trend
Only one of the last five league games has been won. The only win came against AFC Bournemouth in a 2-0 victory. On the other hand, there were defeats at the Klopp club from Liverpool (0:1), at Man United (0:1) and most recently against Crystal Palace (1:2).
So it is urgent time for the home side to get the full points again. In the West Ham vs Leicester match, the predictions are good and odds of 2.10 are paid for bets on the Hammers. At home in the London Stadium, the last results were right. West Ham have won three of their last four home games.
What the Irons are lacking quickly becomes clear when you look at the goal difference. The Moyes team has only scored twelve times. Only Everton, Wolves and Nottingham scored less often. Only four players from the London side scored twice. The defensive side painted a much better picture. Keeper Fabianski only had to fish the ball out of his own net 15 times. That is still the fifth best value in the league.
The Hammers are winning their way through the Conference League
Things are going much better for the home side in the Conference League. In their preliminary group, the Bordeaux reds clearly set the tone and won all six games. Here, too, the defence was very good and allowed only four goals. Together with RSC Anderlecht, the Hammers entered the knockout round.
There was a setback this week when they were knocked out of the EFL Cup against second division Blackburn Rovers.
Predicted West Ham line-up:
Fabianski – Cresswell, Zouma, Dawson, Kehrer – Soucek, Rice – Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen – Scamacca
Last matches played by West Ham:
Carabao Cup
10/11/2022 – West Ham (9)2 – 2(10) Blackburn
Premier League
06/11/2022 – West Ham 1 – 2 Crystal Palace
Europa Conference League Grp. B
04/11/2022 – FC FCSB 0 – 3 West Ham
Premier League
30/10/2022 – Manchester United 1 – 0 West Ham
Europa Conference League Grp. B
28/10/2022 – West Ham 1 – 0 Silkeborg
Leicester – Statistics & current form
The Foxes had to tighten their belts before this season and some key players left the club. Accordingly, the season got off to a bad start and with just one point from the first seven games, the blue and whites initially found themselves at the bottom of the table. But in the meantime, the shrunken squad seems to have found its feet and is working its way up the table step by step.
With four wins and two draws, Leicester, like their upcoming opponents, have 14 points. Due to the better goal difference, the Foxes are just ahead of the Hammers in 14th place. However, the lead over the bottom of the standings is still only four points.
Leicester are on the fast track
However, the last few weeks give enough reason for optimism. Ten points have been collected from the last five games. There were wins against Leeds (2-0), at Wolves (4-0) and at Everton FC (2-0). Only against the Citizens was there a narrow 0:1 defeat. A win in London would be the third away victory in a row and the 2016 champions would leave the bottom of the table for the time being.
Especially the defence, which had a lot of holes at the beginning, could improve a lot in the last weeks. Although the visitors still have the third-worst defensive line with 25 goals conceded, Leicester have managed four clean sheets in the last five league games. They should be able to keep the harmless London attack in check.
The Foxes’ attacking line is one of the most goal-hungry in the Premier League. Brendan Rodgers’ boys have already scored 23 times. The sixth best figure in the league. James Maddison is the visitors’ top scorer with six goals.
The Foxes are looking for their third away win in a row
The Blue and Whites have also improved their away record in recent weeks. After five defeats in a row, the last two matches were won away from home
That run is set to continue on Saturday, with bets on Rodgers’ side in the West Ham v Leicester match being rewarded with odds of 3.70 by bet365.
In the EFL Cup this week, the Foxes progressed to the last 16. Leicester City won clearly against the underclass team of Newport County with 3:0 goals.
Predicted Leicester line-up:
Ward – Castagne, Evans, Faes, Justin – Soumare – Maddison, Tielemans, Barnes, Dewsbury-Hall – Vardy
Last matches played by Leicester:
Carabao Cup
09/11/2022 – Leicester 3 – 0 Newport
Premier League
06/11/2022 – Everton 0 – 2 Leicester
29/10/2022 – Leicester 0 – 1 Manchester City
23/10/2022 – Wolverhampton 0 – 4 Leicester
21/10/2022 – Leicester 2 – 0 Leeds
West Ham – Leicester Direct comparison / H2H record
The two teams have met in 88 Premier League matches. 35 times the hosts were successful and 31 times the Foxes won. Last season, the Hammers won their home match clearly with 4:1 against the Blue and Whites. In the return match, the teams shared the points at 2:2. For the upcoming clash between West Ham and Leicester, the bookmakers’ predictions see the home side with the advantage.
The visitors have not won against the Bordeaux Reds in four matches. In three of these games, the Londoners have taken the full points. There is always plenty of action between the two rivals. In the last seven meetings, there have always been at least three goals scored.
West Ham – Leicester tip
The host Hammers haven’t been doing too well in the league in recent weeks. Only one win from the last five games. Their performances in the Conference League were much more impressive and they won their group without defeat.
But now they have to get something tangible in the league if they don’t want to fall back into the relegation maelstrom. In the West Ham vs Leicester match, the odds are 2.10 for a bet on the home side.
The Foxes are an in-form team coming to the London Stadium. The Blue and Whites won three of their last four league games and were successful away from home twice in a row. So the visitors approach this last task before the World Cup break with a good deal of self-confidence.
We are completely convinced by the results of Brendan Rodgers’ team in recent weeks. In the league, the Foxes are currently one of the best-formed teams in the Premier League and we trust them to win at least a point. Our recommendation is therefore to bet on the double chance X/2 at odds of 1.82 at the top in the match between West Ham and Leicester.
The strengths of both teams lie in the defence. Therefore, we do not expect a goal festival on Saturday and in the duel between West Ham and Leicester, at odds of 1.95, betting on a match with less than 2.5 goals is a promising alternative.
