Van Nistelrooy makes winning start at Leicester City

Ruud van Nistelrooy marked his managerial debut at Leicester City with a commanding 3-1 victory over West Ham in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Goals from Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss, and Patson Daka sealed the win at the King Power Stadium, giving Van Nistelrooy a dream start following his recent exit from Manchester United.

Despite Leicester’s strong result, Van Nistelrooy acknowledged the challenges ahead. “On a long-term basis, we know the performances need to get better. But the spirit and how we want to do things were evident today because, if not, the Premier League is too brutal.”

The Dutchman, a legendary finisher in his playing days, revealed his surprise at receiving numerous managerial offers after a brief four-game stint as United’s interim boss, during which he secured two wins over Leicester.

Leicester took the lead just 99 seconds into the match through Jamie Vardy, whose fifth goal of the season came after a VAR review overturned an initial offside decision. The 37-year-old’s early strike set the tone for a high-energy performance.

West Ham, led by Julen Lopetegui, dominated possession with 31 shots compared to Leicester’s eight but struggled to convert their chances. Lopetegui expressed frustration with the result, “A frustrating night because we deserved much more. Normally, we have to win this match, but we didn’t because we didn’t score.”

Adding to West Ham’s woes, a goal was controversially disallowed when Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen punched the ball into his own net, only for the referee to award a foul against Tomas Soucek for minimal contact.

Leicester capitalized on their counter-attacking opportunities, doubling their lead when Bilal El Khannouss calmly finished from Kasey McAteer’s assist. Patson Daka then powered in a third goal, putting the game beyond West Ham’s reach.

Despite a late consolation goal from Niclas Füllkrug, his first for West Ham, the damage had been done.
The victory lifts Leicester to 15th place, now four points clear of the relegation zone and just two points behind 14th-placed West Ham.