West Ham United achieved the back-to-back Premier League wins by seeing 2-0 by Leicester City on Thursday in the London Stadium.
Birthday boy Tomas Soucek took care of the breach for the Hammers 21 minutes inside and stopped after Mads Hermansen had parerated Mohammed Kudus's strike.
The Graham Potter team did not look back there, because they were claiming consecutive victories of top flight for the first time since March last year, following their heavily fought victory over Arsenal Last Time Out.
Jannik Vestergaard's own goal, which came from Jarrod Bowen's low shot from a tight corner, brought the hammers 2-0 for the Hamers for the break.
And despite the imminent ghost of relegation, Leicester offered little in the way of a reaction, he registered only one shot on goal and creating opportunities worth only 0.3 expected goals in the second half.
Indeed, Evan Ferguson could have done better if they gave a great chance to make it 3-0, although Harry Winks recovered to make a fantastic block.
West Ham's victory takes them to the 15th, above Everton, and the Potter team is now 16 points free from the lower three.
In the meantime, the Leicester of Ruud van Nistelrooy is staring at the relegation of the relegation with a heavy series.
2 – Tomás Soucek (27 February 2022 and 2025) is one of only two players in the history of Premier League to score a goal on his birthday in two different years together with Teddy Sheringham (2 April 1994 and 1995). Returns. pic.twitter.com/kzvfxt8nia
– Optajoe (@Optajoe) 27 February 2025
Data Debrief: Soucek's birthday present
Two West Ham players celebrated birthdays on Thursday. Alphonse Areola became 32 and had very little to do, because Leicester only collected 0.38 expected goals everywhere.
Meanwhile, Soucek marked his 30th birthday with the opener. After he also scored on his birthday in 2022, he became only the second player in the history of Premier League who scored a goal on his birthday in two different years, after Teddy Sheringham in 1994 and 1995.
West Ham has won a Home Premier League match without giving in for the first time since December 2023 against Manchester United (2-0), while they have won consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since February/March 2024, thanks to Wins against Brentford and Everton.
Leicester has now lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League matches, while in his 14 games the lead, Van Nistelrooy only picked up seven points, three less than previous Foxes -Baas Steve Cooper knew this season (10 in 12 games).
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