Leicester’s defensive solidity displays example for visiting West Ham

Leicester have made a perfect start to the new season by winning their first three league games and scoring 12 goals, whilst only conceding four at the other end.

West Ham, meanwhile, secured their first win of the season in fine fashion last time out against a very inconsistent Wolves side.

This is a fixture never short of goals. A total of 39 have been scored in matches between these two since Leicester’s return to the top-flight in 2014, including a 4-1 victory for the Foxes at the King Power in January.

Leicester had one of the best defences in the Premier League last season and a big factor in Leicester’s solid defence was Çağlar Söyüncü, the Turkish international impressing after the departure of the most expensive defender in the world, Harry Maguire.

It was huge pressure for a young defender like Söyüncü to step in and replace Maguire, with the fee and the hype around him being so big. Söyüncü, a £19m signing from Freiburg in 2018, adapted with ease to becoming a Leicester regular last season after struggling for opportunities previously.

With a man-of-the-match performance against Wolves in the first game of last season, Söyüncü was tipped for for a breakthrough season. The 24-year-old’s stock continued to rise throughout the campaign as his sheer determination and his electric speed ensured his place as a fan favourite at the King Power.

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With veteran Jonny Evans, a Northern Ireland international and three-time Premier League champion, accompanying the Turk at the heart of Leicester’s defence, Brendan Rodgers can use his experience to help young defenders like Söyüncü and new signing Wesley Fofana.

Fofana, a 19-year-old defender Saint-Etienne in France, was confirmed as a Leicester player on Friday morning signing for a fee rising up to £40m. The figures involved make this a potentially high risk transfer for the Foxes but the 6’4 giant is spoke about as being one of the best under-20 defenders in the world, some even drawing comparisons will fellow Frenchman Raphael Varane.

West Ham have struggled in defence for the some time, and without the January additions of Tomáš Soucek and Jarrod Bowen, the Hammers may not have maintained their position in the Premier League last season.

They’ve never looked secure since the departure of Winston Reid, who brought power and experience to the back line, and their defending can be filed under comical at times.

Even with Souček and Declan Rice holding the midfield, they still have lots of exposure at the back, and if this problem is not addressed soon, David Moyes’ men could be in for a long and stressful season.

Up the other end of the pitch, West Ham have a special player in Michail Antonio whose goal contributions are probably the reason the Hammers stayed up last year. Antonio contributed eight goals after the restart to lift his team clear of the drop.

Given Leicester’s fluid attack and West Hams shaky defence, the Foxes will be confident of victory of Sunday lunchtime, Jamie Vardy keen to add to his ever-growing tally of Premier League goals.

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