West Ham vs Leicester recap: James Maddison and Harvey Barnes scored either side of halftime to give the Foxes a 2-0 victory in east London on Saturday, entering the 2022 World Cup break on a real high.
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The victory makes four in five games for Leicester (17 points - 12th place), who began the season with just one point from their first seven games. West Ham (14 points - 16th), meanwhile, have just one win from their last six PL games (1W-1D-4L), as they slip to within two places and one point of the relegation zone.
What we learned from West Ham vs Leicester
James Maddison, in the form of his life, injured in final game before World Cup
Maddison’s goal was simply the continuation of the 25-year-old’s red-hot form of late, taking his recent tally to five goals and three assists in his last eight PL appearances. At the very least, he was set be called upon to provide a creative spark off the bench for England at the 2022 World Cup in a matter of days, before coming off with an apparent injury to his right leg.
Physios appeared to test Maddison’s knee as he sat on the ground in the 25th minute at London Stadium. Eventually, he made the long, slow walk across the field and went straight down the tunnel. A potentially heartbreaking blow for a player who’ll be 29 and a long shot to make the World Cup in 2026.
Maddison is showered, dressed and on the bench sat next to Alex Smithies and he seems in good spirits, so may not be as dramatic as it seemed. #LCFC
— Rob Tanner (@RobTannerLCFC) November 12, 2022
How to watch West Ham vs Leicester live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10 am ET, Saturday TV channel: Peacock Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & star players
It’s been an incredibly busy first half(-ish) of the season for David Moyes’ men, and they’ll likely welcome the World Cup break with open arms after playing 23 games, both domestically and abroad. Navigating the group stage of the Europa Conference League was a breeze for West Ham (they won all six games), but at what cost? In five Premier League fixtures immediately following their Thursday excursions on the continent, West Ham went 1W-1D-3L. The gap between the Hammers (15th) and another European qualification (7th-place Chelsea, currently) is just seven points, just as it is for eight other sides currently caught up in the mid-table traffic jam.
Another side in said mid-table mess is Leicester, who took a very different path to 14th place: 10 points from their last five games, after just four from their first nine games. In the first nine games, Leicester conceded 24 goals; in the last five, one (to Manchester City). Wesley Fofan’s untimely and messy departure didn’t serve anyone well, but the least of which was Leicester, who also saw club legend Kasper Schmeichel leave the club in the summer, with Danny Ward, who served as a backup for four seasons and made just one Premier League start in that time, taking over in goal.
West Ham team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Emerson Palmieri (undisclosed), Maxwel Cornet (calf)
Our starting XI for the Foxes ⚒️#WHULEI pic.twitter.com/ACkQ1MzwCn
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 12, 2022
Leicester team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Caglar Soyuncu (hamstring), Ricardo Pereira (achilles), Ryan Bertrand (knee), James Justin (achilles)
Your City line-up in London 📝#WHULEI pic.twitter.com/vb38a5bGji
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 12, 2022