Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy. Photo: Photosport
Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy got off to a winning start in his first game in charge as they beat West Ham United 3-1 in the Premier League.
Veteran striker Jamie Vardy, 20-year-old Bilal El Khannouss and substitute Patson Daka scored as Leicester took their chances while a dominant West Ham were guilty of spurning several good opportunities, only getting a late consolation goal from Niclas Fuellkrug.
Van Nistelrooy was appointed on Friday to replace Steve Cooper after the Foxes made a poor start to the season and although he did not have much time with his new charges, his arrival injected some much-needed good fortune into the club.
The win moved Leicester, who last won six weeks ago, from a point above the relegation places to 15th, while West Ham are one place above them in the standings.
The 37-year-old Vardy beat the offside trap to score after 98 seconds although it took more than two minutes for a VAR check to confirm his run had been perfectly timed.
Leicester's second came on the hour mark as El Khannouss steered home a perfectly weighted pass inside from Kasey McAteer after a long ball to the left from Facundo Buonanotte stretched the West Ham defence.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid found the net in the 81st minute but his effort was chalked off for offside after a VAR check but in the 90th minute Daka was released on the left and finished with a powerful strike.
For the rest it was a match that the Hammers dominated, spurning several clear-cut chances before they bagged a late consolation goal, with the result piling the pressure on under fire manager Julen Lopetegui.
Danny Ings, making his first start of the season, saw his 13th minute header deflect off Leicester fullback James Justin and onto the base of the post.
In the 69th minute, Leicester's Conor Coady cleared off the line as he was falling back into his own net, keeping out substitute Crysencio Summerville's effort with the tip of his toe.
There was also a let off for Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen in the 58th minute when he came out to punch the ball but missed, allowing it to trickle into the net only for the referee to award a free kick for a push by Tomas Soucek.
West Ham finally found the net four minutes into stoppage time with Fuellkrug's header on his return from injury.
### Palace edge Ipswich
Earlier, Crystal Palace eked out a 1-0 victory at Ipswich Town, with Jean-Philippe Mateta capitalising on a slip from his marker to score the winner just before the hour mark.
Crystal Palace celebrate a goal to Jean-Philippe Mateta. Photo: Photosport
The French striker broke free in the 59th minute, as Ipswich's Jacob Greaves lost his footing, before lifting the ball over keeper Arijanet Muric.
Palace are 16th in the table with 12 points, while Ipswich are second-to-bottom with nine points.
It was a first away win of the league campaign for Palace, while the hosts are still waiting for their first victory at Portman Road since winning promotion.
"Very pleased with the result. It was not about performing brilliantly. We expected a big fight and it was a big fight," Palace manager Oliver Glasner told Match of The Day.
"I told the players we had to expect a big fight today and it was a big fight, especially at the end. We expected them to play man to man, big pressure.
"We're pleased with our defensive performance, we didn't allow them a chance from open play, just one from a set piece in the first half and one in the second half."
**_\- Reuters_**