One story just began on Tuesday in England, while another seems to have ended. Ruud van Nistelrooy debuted as Leicester’s head coach in the 14th round of the Premier League, and with a victory over West Ham likely sealed Julen Lopetegui’s fate – 3:1 (1:0). Lopetegui survived conceding three goals to Nottingham Forest a month ago and five in the first half against Arsenal last weekend, but the debacle at King Power Stadium may be the final straw for the London club’s management. Three and a half months into the season, there’s no sign that Lopetegui is even close to organizing the team, with results falling far below expectations and not matching the 144 million euros spent on reinforcements.What the Spanish coach couldn’t achieve in three and a half months, the Dutchman managed in just five days. Last week, Van Nistelrooy was introduced at King Power Stadium, and after only a few training sessions, Leicester already looked like a team under his leadership. Jamie Vardy heralded the debut of the promising coach. The same player who broke Ruud’s Premier League scoring streak record in 2015 scored Leicester’s first goal of the Dutchman’s era nine years later. He slipped past West Ham’s high defensive line, went one-on-one with Łukasz Fabiański, and clinically finished. Leicester continued to threaten in similar fashion, launching counterattacks that seem poised to become Van Nistelrooy’s greatest weapon. Though they took the lead early, they were on the back foot for much of the game. They likely would have conceded had it not been for an inspired performance by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who frustrated West Ham attackers—especially Jarrod Bowen—with several brilliant saves.However, Hermansen almost went from hero to villain early in the second half. A poor reaction just before the hour mark allowed Tomáš Souček to disrupt him, resulting in the ball ending up in Leicester’s net. However, after a VAR review, Souček was deemed to have fouled the goalkeeper, a controversial decision many consider pivotal. Minutes later, from another counterattack, El Bilal Toure doubled Leicester’s lead. In the final moments, substitute Patson Daka sealed the victory with another counterattack, while Niklas Füllkrug scored a consolation goal for the visitors in stoppage time.ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 14TuesdayIpswich – Crystal Palace 0-1 (0-0)/Mateta 59/Leicester – West Ham 3-1 (1-0)/Vardy 2, Khannous 61,Daka 90 – Fullkrug 90+3/Wednesday22:30: (2.20) Everton (3.50) Wolverhampton (3.50)22:30: (1.40) Man.City (4.70) Nott.Forest (8.00)22:30: (8.50) Southampton (5.50) Chelsea (1.33)23:15: (1.50) Arsenal (4.50) Man.Utd. (7.25)23:15: (1.80) Aston Villa (3.70) Brentford (5.00)Thursday22:30: (2.45) Fulham (3.50) Brighton (3.00)23:15: (2.70) Bournemouth (3.90) Tottenham (2.50)***odds are subject to change***
