West Ham Secure Comfortable 2-0 Win Against Lacklustre
West Ham secured a comfortable 2-0 victory against Leicester City in London on Thursday, pushing the Foxes closer to relegation while moving further away from the bottom three of the Premier League table.
Tomas Soucek opened the scoring for West Ham, and Leicester’s Jannik Vestergaard accidentally scored an own goal before halftime. This win helped West Ham climb to 15th place in the league, putting them 16 points ahead of the relegation zone.
Leicester’s situation is getting worse, as they have struggled since they last faced West Ham in December. That game was their manager Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first match in charge, but things have not improved since then. Leicester has lost 11 of their last 13 games, with only one draw.
After the game, Van Nistelrooy admitted that his team made too many mistakes. “The goals we conceded were too easy. It shows how poorly we played in the first half,” he said. “We were too passive. We are in a difficult position, and we are not winning games. We are in the bottom three, and the pressure is on. We cannot afford to sit back and wait.”
West Ham entered this match in high spirits after their surprise 1-0 win against Arsenal on Saturday. Their coach, Graham Potter, was pleased with his team’s performance, even though he believed they could have won by a bigger margin.
“It was a professional performance,” said Potter. “Not amazing, but we are happy with two wins, two clean sheets, and six points from our last two matches.”
West Ham’s first goal came in the 21st minute when Leicester’s goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, saved a shot from Mohammed Kudus. However, the ball rebounded to Tomas Soucek, who easily tapped it into an empty net.
Just before halftime, West Ham doubled their lead. Leicester failed to defend properly from a corner kick, allowing Jarrod Bowen to take a shot. His attempt deflected off Leicester’s Jannik Vestergaard and went into the net, making it 2-0.
After halftime, West Ham had a chance to score again. Evan Ferguson tried to net his first goal for the club, but his shot was blocked by Leicester defender Wout Faes. Despite this, West Ham had already done enough to secure the win. This was the first time they had won two consecutive Premier League games since March of last year.
Leicester’s loss means they remain in 19th place, five points away from safety. Their recent performances show no signs of improvement, and they seem likely to be relegated back to the Championship at the end of the season.
AC Milan's Champions League Hopes Take a Hit with Bologna Defeat at Renato Dall'Ara
AC Milan’s slim chances of securing a Champions League spot next season suffered another setback on Thursday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Bologna. The loss leaves Milan eight points adrift of Serie A’s top four, with their qualification hopes fading.
Sergio Conceicao’s side now sits eighth in the league standings, trailing fourth-placed Juventus, after an entertaining clash at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. The fixture had been postponed from October due to severe flooding and torrential rains that left large parts of the Emilia-Romagna region underwater.
Dan Ndoye netted the decisive goal in the 82nd minute, propelling Bologna to sixth place with 44 points—five behind Juventus—after winning their rescheduled match.
“We still believe (in qualification). There are many games left, teams can drop points, and our job is simply to win,” said Milan’s goalscorer Rafael Leao.
Milan initially took the lead through Leao just before halftime, but they struggled after the break. Santiago Castro equalized in the 48th minute, bundling in a Giovanni Fabbian knockdown, though Milan protested for a handball in the build-up.
The Rossoneri never fully regained control, and Bologna capitalized on a defensive lapse for their winner. Nicolo Cambiaghi outmaneuvered Alex Jimenez before delivering a pinpoint low cross, allowing Ndoye to tap home and complete the comeback.
Seven-time European champions Milan will host Lazio on Sunday night in what could be their last opportunity to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
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