Leicester City 4-2 West Ham: Cain brace sees Leicester end season on a high | OneFootball

Leicester City finished their Barclays Women’s Super League season with their first league win over West Ham since February 2022.

Janice Cayman put the hosts in front in the 9th minute, and Hannah Cain doubled their lead in the 35th. Viviane Asseyi began to close the gap with a 57th minute header, but two minutes later, Cain restored Leicester’s two goal advantage. In the 63rd minute Asseyi pulled the Hammers back into it with a freekick, but Sam Tierney netted Leicester’s fourth in the 69th to seal their victory.

As it happened

Leicester City’s determined start paid off in the 9th minute when a West Ham block fell to Cayman’s feet at the edge of the box. She remained composed to strike through a crowded box into the top right corner of the net.

West Ham reacted well, pressuring Leicester and winning much of the first half’s momentum and possession, but were unable to finish their chances and set pieces.

Against the run of play, the Foxes extended their lead ten minutes before halftime. Tierney sent an excellent ball through space in the West Ham defence for Cain to run on to. While Kinga Szemik blocked Cain’s first shot, she couldn’t stop her capitalising on the rebound.

The second half began with a renewed fight from West Ham, and they halved the deficit in the 57th minute when Asseyi headed home Cayman’s attempted clearance to give her team a lifeline. Just two minutes later, though, Asmita Ale sent a ball through space in the West Ham defence (reminiscent of Tierney’s pass for the second goal) which Cain latched onto and chipped Szemik to restore Leicester’s lead.

But West Ham had more left in them, and in the 63rd minute, Asseyi bagged her second: a wonderful right-footed strike straight from a free kick and into the back of the Leicester net.

The Foxes were determined to once again put more space between themselves and the visitors, and did so in the 69th minute when Yuka Momiki sent a long ball through to Tierney. Spotting Szemik off her line, Tierney pulled off a right-footed lob from range to seal the victory.

Despite their loss today, West Ham end the 2024-25 WSL season above Leicester City in the table, finishing ninth, while Leicester sit in tenth. This is Leicester’s fifth home win this season – a record for them – while West Ham’s misfortune of never winning a final game day match in the WSL continues.

The lineups

LEI: Leitzig; Thibaud, Howard, Swaby, Ale; Tierney, Cayman; Goodwin, Momiki, Chossenotte; Cain

WHU: Szemik; Denton, Nyström, Zadorsky, Hanshaw; Piubel, Gorry; Paví, Ueki, Asseyi, Martinez