Hammers face Foxes in the race for European places

West Ham welcome Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City to the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon with both clubs looking to compete for the title of the best of the rest outside the top six places.

The visitors Leicester currently hold that crown as the Foxes sit in seventh, five points clear of the Hammers, who currently sit in 11th. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat with a top-ten finish surely high on the Chilean’s objectives after the London team’s expensive summer spending.

Their opponents decided to part ways with Claude Puel after failure to deliver exciting football as much as results with new man Rodgers looking to register a fifth win in six games for the former Premier League champions. Although, the Foxes record in the Capital may worry their Northern Irish boss.

Leicester have only emerged victorious once in twelve Premier League fixtures in London since defeating West Ham 3-2 in 2016, their only other success coming with a Jamie Vardy goal securing a 1-0 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in December 2018.

West Ham have only won twice in their last ten against Leicester in all competitions and will be sweating over the fitness of a few key men ahead of the game. Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Manuel Lanzini are all doubtful for the fixture as the Hammers look to close the gap on the teams above them.

They continue to be without Andy Carroll, Winston Reid, Andriy Yarmolenko and Carlos Sanchez, who has recently returned to training, whilst Jack Wilshere is expected to finally return next week.

Rodgers’ injury list isn’t as extensive with Daniel Amartey their only long-term absentee. Marc Albrighton is expected to only part a bit-part role, the English winger having contributed to five goals against Saturday’s opponents including in all three of his Premier League away games against West Ham.

A win for the visitors will enforce their march towards European football whilst three points for Pellegrini’s men would put them back in the mix.