Slimani’s header gives Leicester lone goal victory over West Ham

Slimani heads Leicester to a win

Leicester City pulled six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone as Islam Slimani’s header ended West Ham United’s three-match winning run.

Slimani had already headed against the post when he nodded home Marc Albrighton’s excellent cross.

Home keeper Kasper Schmeichel twice denied Dimitri Payet with fine saves, while Michail Antonio hammered a shot against the Leicester bar.

Schmeichel also did well to keep out Aaron Creswell’s deflected free-kick as champions Leicester ended a momentous 2016 with a first clean sheet in 12 league games.

The win lifts the Foxes one place to 15th, while West Ham’s first league defeat since 3 December means they drop from 11th to 13th.

Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha rewarded the club’s older fans with a free beer before the game.

It was not to drown their sorrows despite a poor first half to the season, but to reward them for their backing during a historic year in which the 5,000-1 outsiders won the title.

And many of the ingredients that contributed to the Foxes being crowned champions were back on display in their final game of 2016.

Leicester have been accused of looking ragged and lacking in ideas lately. Against West Ham, they were hungry, determined and energetic as they tore into their opponents in the first half and gave fans hope they will not spend 2017 embroiled in a relegation fight.

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