Leicester City beat West Ham United 3-1 in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game as manager.
The Foxes hosted the Hammers at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening, aiming to get the Ruud van Nistelrooy era off to a good start.
Leicester City had previously been smashed 4-1 by Brentford just a few days earlier with the Dutchman watching on from the stands.
But Van Nistelrooy’s managerial debut with the Foxes was a completely different story, in no small part due to some big changes he made.
Wout Faes was dropped after consistently poor displays across the campaign so far, with Leicester’s backline getting a complete shake-up.
When all was said and done, the Midlands outfit came away with a 3-1 win against the Hammers, with Leicester fans making their feeling on Van Nistelrooy clear post-match.
Leicester City Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United at King Powe...
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Ruud van Nistelrooy set Premier League record after Leicester City vs West Ham
Jamie Vardy blew West Ham fans away on the night, scoring the opening goal after just two minutes.
Further goals from Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka then ensured the three points remained in the Midlands.
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That win saw Leicester climb up to 15th in the table and four points clear of the relegation zone, though Wolverhampton Wanders do still have a game in hand to play.
As well as steering the Foxes away from the bottom three, the victory over West Ham saw Van Nistelrooy set a Premier League record.
Prior to replacing Steve Cooper, the former PSV Eindhoven boss spent a brief time as interim manager of Manchester United.
His last game in the Old Trafford dugout saw him pick up a 3-0 win over Leicester in the top flight last month.
As a result, Van Nistelrooy has become the first-ever manager to win consecutive Premier League games with those coming both for and against the same side (3-0 vs Leicester with Man Utd, 3-1 with Leicester vs West Ham).
Ruud van Nistelrooy manager / head coach of Leicester City shakes hands with Julen Lopetegui manager / head coach of West Ham United after tthe Pre...
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What Ruud van Nistelrooy said after Leicester City debut vs West Ham
The former Red Devil could not have asked for a better start to life as Leicester manager.
The Foxes have some tough fixtures toward the end of this month against Manchester City and Liverpool, so picking up a win versus a struggling West Ham was huge and should ease some pressure on the club.
Now, following his record-setting win over the east London outfit, Van Nistelrooy has shared his thoughts on the match.
He said: “I’m very happy. If you look at the result, and it’s about the results, it was a great night. Three points, three goals, and three good goals I think. I was very happy with that.
“Overall, we all saw the game and how dominant West Ham were at certain stages and how much they created and the attempts they had. That was a fact. It’s something of course we have to look at and do better.
“But it’s the third day working at the club, so it’s been very busy getting to know everyone, working together with the current staff. We have started working together and everybody was helping.
“They were long days, but they were worth it. You’re focused on the moment. I’m going to get myself a little beer and reflect on the past few days.”
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