West Ham should have been 3 points clear of Manchester United if they won but they had to settle for a draw after Leicester came from behind to take the lead only to settle for a draw after West Ham scored a late goal. It hasn't been the best of the season for Leicester City but they would be pleased with the response they got after underwhelming performances before now.
It was an exciting encounter between the two sides as the goals kept coming. West Ham took the lead through Bowen before Tielemans restored parity with a penalty and Ricardo gave Leicester City the lead for the first time but heartbreak soon followed late in the game as Dawson scored a late goal to give West Ham something from the game. Manchester United could have a chance to override West Ham on the table if they win their outstanding match against Brighton and as we all know, nothing is certain about this United side.
It didn't take West Ham long before they went ahead with a sumptuous strike and teamwork. It was their in-form man, Bowen who got them off to a flying start in the 10th minute after a long pass from the back found him. He beautifully controlled the ball before slotting it into the back of the net to give the away fans something to cheer about.
Just before halftime, Leicester City got a chance to level the matters after Cresswell handled the ball inside his own area from a corner kick delivery. The referee pointed straight to the spot and Tielemans stepped up to send the ball into the back of the net. His strike beat the goalkeeper for pace even though Fabianski guessed the right place.
The game turned around for Leicester City in the 57th minute after they went ahead for the first time in the game. Barnes had time on his hand to easily pick out his teammate inside the box and it was the unlikely hero; Ricardo Pereira who got in on the end of that ball in from Barnes to power home a header into the top right corner of the net with the goalkeeper clearly beaten. The last time Ricardo scored for Leicester City was also 2 years ago in this same fixture.
Heartbreak soon came for Leicester City who felt they had won the game in the 91st minute after West Ham restored parity. It was a lovely delivery into the box from Bowen's corner kick and Dawson was there to bundle the ball home as it came off his head and his shoulder. It was subjected to VAR review and the goal was allowed to stand since it wasn't a handball. It was a case of "Oh, so near" for Leicester City as they looked destined to have won this encounter, especially after that turnaround.
Leicester City still has a chance to move up the table if they are able to win their 3 outstanding games. It won't be easy because a point at hand is better than 9 points still undetermined but it would do them a world of good if they can manage to get those 3 wins to push them further up the table.
West Ham looked to have slowed down a bit but with the season they have had so far, no one can even fault them. Their current league position is a miracle because no one expected them to be up there as such. They have worked so hard to achieve it and the Hammers fan would have no complaints whatsoever because this team has allowed them to dream yet again.
Thank you for your time.
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