FT: West Ham 1-1 Leicester: Kouyate’s goal salvages another poor performance

West Ham United finished leveled with Leicester City 1-1 on Friday evening at the London Stadium, as Cheikhou Kouyate’s late first half goal salvaged what was another poor performance by a side with so much expectations coming into the campaign.

Once again, the Hammers conceded the match’s opening goal, when Jamie Vardy’s pass was allowed to get all the way across to Marc Albrighton for the winger to put Leicester up 1-0 in the 8th minute. It was a mostly dissatisfied home crowd for much of the first half, as questions on whether their side would show something echoed around the London Stadium.

But just when full doom and gloom would be the theme of the night, the Hammers showed some life later in the half through Marko Arnautovic’s inspired play. And they were able to get an equalizer at the end of the first half, when Kouyate scored one of the ugliest headers you would see, from a Manuel Lanzini’s corner, that deflected off of Danny Simpson and into the net in the 45th minute.

There was a major flash point late in the second half, when it seemed Harry Maguire fouled Andre Ayew in the box. But on replay, referee Mark Atkinson got it right as Ayew dove.

The Hammers next match will be against the club that made David Moyes a household name, fellow disappointing strugglers Everton, on Tuesday.