Leicester City continued their impressive start to the new Premier League season with a 2-1 win away to West Ham United.
A late but good-for-nothing rally by the Hammers saw goalkeeper Adrian receive his marching order for going high on a Leicester player yards away from his goal at the other end.
Leicester were two goals up at the break, courtesy of strikes by Shinji Okazaki and Riyad Mahrez as Dmitiri Payet’s first Premier League goal amounted to nothing.
Coach Claudio Ranieri made no changes to the side which romped to a 4-2 win at home to Sunderland last week, as Carl Jenkinson started for the Hammers in place of James Tomkins.
Coming on the back of a rock-solid performance away to Arsenal, the Boleyn Ground outfit were off to a blistering start in their first home game of the season and almost grabbed a third-minute opener when Diafra Sakho managed to connect with a Dimitri Payet cross, only for his effort to glance off the top of the crossbar.
5 – Leicester's Riyad Mahrez has now scored five goals in his last five Premier League appearances. Streak.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 15, 2015
The home crowd were not scared of early nerves as well as goalkeeper Adrian required treatment after a challenge with the on-rushing Jamie Vardy. Despite getting in the referee’s book for that altercation with the West Ham goalkeeper, the English winger continued prowling on the left flank.
Moment after beating Adrian with a low ball which a bunch of Leicester forwards failed to connect with, Vardy’s cross was finally met on the volley by Okazaki who needed a second try to force his header past Adrian for the Foxes’ opener on 27 minutes.
10 – Leicester have now scored 10 goals in their last three Premier League games. Rampant.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 15, 2015
Another fluid attack ten minutes later saw the visitors double their lead, as Okazaki beat the offside trap to latch onto a long ball and send a clever pass into the path of Marc Albrighton, who pulled back from the byline for Mhyrez to blast home from ten yards.
Ten minutes into the second half, Payet slotted into the top corner from 12 yards from a Cheikyou Kouyate beautifully laid pass to reduce arrears.
Leicester struggled to reproduce their near-perfect first-half showing and Diafra Sakho almost restored parity late on but his effort was blocked by Kasper Schmeichel.
Premier League Results
Saints 0-3 Everton
Sunderland 1-3 Norwich
Swansea 2-0 Newcastle
Spurs 2-2 Stoke
Watford 0-0 West Brom
West Ham 1-2 Leicester
