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Leicester vs West Ham Predictions: Ruud ready to make a winning start
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Jack Ogalbe
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New Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in the dugout for the first time against West Ham on Tuesday
New Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in the dugout for the first time against West Ham on Tuesday

- Ruud van Nistelrooy oversees his first game in charge of Leicester
- West Ham lost 5-2 to Arsenal on Saturday
- Recommended bet:
Leicester to win

Leicester went down 4-1 at Brentford on Saturday but a new dawn breaks for the Foxes on Tuesday, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was in the stands in West London, set to begin his reign as head coach against West Ham.

Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui was also absent from the dugout for his team's last match, serving a touchline ban during their 5-2 defeat to Arsenal.

Last Monday's 2-0 win at Newcastle hinted that the London club had turned a corner but they were again error-strewn against the Gunners and could be on the wrong end of the result at the King Power Stadium.

Team news

Leicester will be without Abdul Fatawa (knee), Ricardo Pereira (thigh), Nathaniel Opuku (broken leg) and Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle). However, Harry Winks is expected to be fit following a groin issue.

West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug remains sidelined with an Achilles injury but the visitors should be boosted by the return of winger Mohammed Kudus following suspension.

The stats

Leicester sit 16th in the table on 10 points, five points worse off than West Ham.

The Foxes have scored just six goals at home, while the Hammers have netted seven times on the road.

Leicester have failed to win their last four, collecting just one point in that time, while the victory at Newcastle was West Ham's only success in their last four.

The hosts won the pair's last meeting 2-1 at the King Power Stadium in May 2023, although that final-day victory was not enough to stave off relegation.

Julen Lopetegui has had plenty to be frustrated about during his spell as West Ham boss
Julen Lopetegui has had plenty to be frustrated about during his spell as West Ham boss

Prediction

Neutrals may suggest that Steve Cooper did a decent job with limited resources during his short spell at Leicester but his Nottingham Forest connections meant the fans never truly took to him.

HIs successor Van Nistelrooy has already suggested that he will look to employ more attacking tactics, as was the case during Enzo Maresca's time at the club, a policy that will undoubtedly help get the supporters behind him.

It was intriguing to note that interim boss Ben Dawson switched to a back three at Brentford, a move that the new permanent manager may have requested and he could persevere with that shape on Tuesday.

Lopetegui has also trialled a three-man defence since arriving at West Ham in the summer and still seems to be settling on his preferred tactics.

The defeat to Arsenal has put the pressure back on the Spaniard and his team's poor form could continue in the East Midlands.

Leicester's players are sure to be boosted by having a new manager through the door and they will be looking to impress him.

City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has hailed Van Nistelrooy's "winning mentality" and the 48-year-old looks to have a great chance of making a winning start.

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Premier LeagueLeicester CityWest Ham United
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