Ndidi’s grit not enough as Leicester slide to defeat at West Ham

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Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi played the full 90 minutes, but his efforts were not enough to prevent Leicester City from suffering a disappointing 2-0 defeat to West Ham United at the London Stadium on Thursday night.

It has been a turbulent season for the Foxes, and this latest setback marks their 18th league loss, piling even more pressure on manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose future at the club is increasingly uncertain.

Ndidi's grit not enough as Leicester slide to defeat at West Ham
Photo by Icon Sport

Leicester found themselves on the back foot from the opening whistle as West Ham dominated possession and dictated the tempo of the game.

The Hammers' pressure paid off in the 21st minute when Tomas Soucek broke the deadlock, finishing off a well-worked move to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Despite Leicester’s attempts to claw their way back into the contest, their misery was compounded in the second half when Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure, gifting West Ham a 2-0 advantage.

https://twitter.com/LCFC/status/1895229985004363954

With this latest defeat, Leicester remain second from bottom in the Premier League standings, collecting just 17 points from 22 matches.

Nddi's performance against West Ham in numbers

Wilfred Ndidi played the full 90 minutes, making 62 touches while delivering one cross and a long ball.

He registered one shot on target and two off target while also contributing defensively with three tackles.

Nddi's performance against West Ham in numbers
Photo by Icon Sport

The Nigerian midfielder made one interception and three clearances as West Ham pressed Leicester’s backline.

In possession, he completed 38 of his 44 passes, achieving an 86% success rate. He also succeeded in his only dribbling attempt.

Ndidi dominated in duels, winning five of seven aerial battles and six of eight ground duels.

<!-- Author Start -->Andrew Randa<!-- Author End -->

Andrew Randa

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Andrew Randa is a veteran Nigerian sports journalist with over 20 years of experience covering the beautiful game across Africa. Andrew served as a Media Officer for Nigeria's U-20 Men's National Team for three years, offering a unique perspective on the future stars of Nigerian football. Beyond reporting, Andrew is a pioneer in sports graphics creation within Nigeria. His expertise extends to sports kit design, making him a true multi-faceted talent in the African sports landscape.