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West Ham can enjoy a pre-weekend evening to celebrate after a comfortable 2-0 win over visiting Leicester City.

Scorers: Souček 21′, Vestergaard 43′ (own goal)

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Foxes, who are in a do-or-die situation every week as they remain in the bottom three, started poorly on the night as the Hammers compounded that reality.

The Hammers looked the better side on the night for the duration of the 90 minutes at the London Stadium, and an opening goal just after the 20-minute mark would set them away.

Leicester failed to properly clear their lines before a ball from Aaron Cresswell was redirected by Mohammed Kudus that was well-saved by Mads Hermansen, only to fall to Tomáš Souček to slot home from inside the six-yard box on his birthday.

Graham Potter’s troops continued to find joy in all phases of play in front of home support, particularly down the right-hand channel as the Hammers looked for a second goal just before the break.

They ultimately found just that in the 43rd minute thanks to Jarrod Bowen after he did well to keep the ball in play after the initial West Ham corner.

After the cross was not properly cleared, Bowen danced his way into a shooting position before dispatching an effort at the near post, though it would go down as a Jannick Vestergaard own goal.

Regardless of how they found their second, it would be all that the capital club would need to confirm the full three points in a result that sees them up to 15th, while Leicester slumps down one further place to 19th on goal difference.

📸 BEN STANSALL – AFP or licensors

Few players, if any, know how to better celebrate a birthday than veteran West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček.

Having officially crossed the great divide when he turned 30 today, the Czechia international got himself on the scoresheet in the first half as the Hammers took a two-nil lead into the interval against visiting Leicester City.

While his goal may prove to be the match-winner on the night, there was something extra special about his finish.

2 – Tomás Soucek (27th February 2022 & 2025) is one of just two players in Premier League history to score a goal on his birthday in two different years along with Teddy Sheringham (2nd April 1994 & 1995). Returns. pic.twitter.com/KZvfXt8niA

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 27, 2025

This was the second time that the Havlíčkův Brod-born midfielder found the back of the net on the day of his birth, becoming just one of only two Premier League players to ever achieve that feat, joining former Hammer Teddy Sheringham in the process.

Happy birthday, indeed!

📸 Justin Setterfield – 2025 Getty Images