Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
West Ham United welcome Leicester City to the London Stadium this Saturday afternoon, for what should be an interesting Premier League encounter. The home side are looking to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat, having been beaten by Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United in their last three Premier League games. Leicester have been going well recently, with last week’s 1-0 reverse at home to Newcastle United being their first defeat after four consecutive league victories.
Leicester have not done well in London in recent times. Brendan Rodgers’ side has won only once in 12 games in the capital. That solitary victory in that run came at Chelsea earlier this season. If the Foxes win a third consecutive Premier League game this weekend, it will be the first time they have managed the feat since April 2016.
West Ham United vs Leicester City Prediction: Hammers 1-1 Foxes
Our prediction for this game is that it will end in a 1-1 draw. Both of these teams have a chance of qualifying for the Europa League, and it should be an interesting and entertaining game, with plenty of incident. We suspect that the two sides will cancel each other out a little bit, and matters are likely to end all square. West Ham have scored only one goal in their last three league matches. If this game was at the King Power Stadium, we would be backing the Foxes to win. As it is, we suspect they will have to settle for a point.
Our recommended tip: Draw, 1X2
Our featured tip for this game comes from Ladbrokes, who are offering odds of 5/2 on the 1X2 market on this game being a draw. Those odds offer reasonable value for punters, while also giving you some flexibility when it comes to the actual final scoreline. We think that these teams are pretty well-matched, and the game will end up level as a result. If the game was at Leicester, we would be backing the Foxes. Home advantage, and City’s recent poor record in London, should mean that the Hammers hold on for a point, though.
Previous matches
West Ham have won only once in their last nine games against the Foxes. They last beat the East Midlands outfit in May 2018, when they won 2-0 at Leicester. The two sides have met 23 times in total in the Premier League, with the Hammers winning 11 of those games. Leicester have won seven times, and there have been five draws. The Foxes have won three times at West Ham in the Premier League era.
Earlier this season, the teams clashed at the King Power Stadium on October 27, with the game ending 1-1. Fabian Balbuena scored for the Hammers and Wilfred Ndidi equalised.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Felipe Anderson & Marc Albrighton
Felipe Anderson is the only man to have found the net for the Hammers in their last three league matches. The Brazilian is his team’s top goalscorer in the Premier League in 2018/19, having netted nine goals in his 33 games this season. He has also provided four assists for his team-mates, and has created nine big chances. Of his 52 attempts on goal, 22 have been on target, which represents an accuracy rate of 42%.
Marc Albrighton is a man that West Ham need to keep an eye on this weekend. The Foxes winger has been directly involved in five goals against the Hammers in his career. He has scored one goal and provided four assists. He has either scored or assisted in all three of his Premier League games against the east London outfit. He has two goals and two assists in his 23 Premier League appearances in 2018/19.
