Tag: Craig Dawson

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CRAIG DAWSON’S LATE STRIKE SALVAGES A POINT FOR WESTHAM AT LEICESTER

West Ham’s week of controversy ended with some relief after Craig Dawson scored a late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw against Leicester after Kurt Zouma pulled out in the warm-up at King Power Stadium.

Dawson salvaged a point in the first minute of time added on after Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead, but Youri Tielemans’ 45th-minute penalty equalised before Ricardo Pereira’s header appeared to clinch Leicester’s first win in five in all competitions.

Zouma was reported to be feeling sick and suffered problems with his vision and substitute Issa Diop started instead with goalkeeper Darren Randolph making up the bench.

His withdrawal came after he was pictured on a video on social media kicking his pet cat.

The French centre back has been fined two weeks’ wages, around £250,000 (€298,605), while two cats have been removed from his property and the RSPCA have launched an investigation.

West Ham seemed unaffected however and settled quickly before taking a 10th-minute lead.

Diop lofted the ball forward and Leicester’s defence was caught napping as Bowen controlled before firing a left-footed drive across Kasper Schmeichel for his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

It was in-form Bowen’s seventh goal in as many games, making it 12 in all competitions this season.

Leicester, short of confidence after three defeats in their last four including a hammering at Sky Bet Championship side Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, struggled early on and supporters were quick to show their frustration with pockets of boos around King Power Stadium.

The home side gradually improved to lift their fans, however.

Tielemans and Harvey Barnes were both off target with angled shots from distance as Leicester sought an equaliser.

That came in the 45th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Aaron Cresswell handled as he tried to head away James Maddison’s corner on the edge of the six-yard box.

Tielemans confidently drove the spot kick low to the right of Lukasz Fabianski, who guessed correctly but was beaten by the power and accuracy of the shot.

Leicester began the second half with much more purpose than they started the first and soon put West Ham under pressure.

Barnes was the dangerman, with one of his several crosses leading to Leicester’s second goal.

Patson Daka was fractionally too late sliding in to convert the winger’s cross.

But Barnes’ next delivery was bang on the money, as Ricardo beat Cresswell to plant a bullet header into the top corner of the net.

Tielemans flashed a rising shot just wide as Leicester sought a third goal.

But after Hammers substitute Said Benrahma produced two efforts, the visitors salvaged a point when Bowen’s corner went in off Dawson’s upper arm, looping high into the net.

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LOANEE CRAIG DAWSON TO JOIN WESTHAM ON A PERMANENT DEAL

West Ham have announced that their on-loan defender Craig Dawson will join the club on a permanent deal from Watford at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old moved to the Hammers on loan in October and has scored three goals in 15 Premier League appearances this term.

He will remain at London Stadium until the summer of 2023.

“Coming to West Ham has been a great move for myself, and it is a privilege to play for a club with such rooted traditions,” Dawson told West Ham’s website.

“The squad has a real togetherness, team spirit and great quality. I’m excited for what my future at the club may hold and the potential for what we as a club can go on to achieve.”

West Ham are in contention for Champions League qualification and sit fourth in the table following Monday’s 3-2 win at Wolves.

Dawson, who played for Rochdale, West Brom and Bolton earlier in his career, had to wait until late December for his Hammers debut but has since been ever-present in the top flight.

Manager David Moyes said: “Craig’s performances, attitude and the impact he’s had demonstrate why he deserves a permanent deal.

“He had to be patient but he’s come in and grabbed his opportunity with both hands. We are always looking to improve the squad and Craig joining us permanently certainly does that.”

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WESTHAM STILL ON COURSE FOR TOP FOUR AFTER 2-0 WIN AGAINST LEEDS

Goals from Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson kept West Ham in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish with a 2-0 win over Leeds at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are back up to fifth after Lingard converted the rebound from his own missed penalty and fellow January signing Dawson crashed in a fine header.

A year ago on Sunday West Ham played their final match before lockdown, a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal which left them out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Since then, West Ham have collected 60 points from 34 games and transformed themselves from a side battling the drop to one mounting a genuine challenge for European qualification.

Goals from Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson kept West Ham in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish with a 2-0 win over Leeds at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are back up to fifth after Lingard converted the rebound from his own missed penalty and fellow January signing Dawson crashed in a fine header.

A year ago on Sunday West Ham played their final match before lockdown, a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal which left them out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Since then, West Ham have collected 60 points from 34 games and transformed themselves from a side battling the drop to one mounting a genuine challenge for European qualification.

The visitors then had the ball in the net twice in the space of two minutes, only for both goals to be chalked off.

First, Costa crossed for Tyler Roberts to tap home but a flag was raised and VAR’s lines confirmed that the Portuguese winger’s knee had strayed offside when Patrick Bamford flicked the ball on.

Moments later Bamford was presented with a tap-in but the ball had just gone out of play when Raphinha cut it back from the byline.

But Leeds’ boom or bust policy was exposed again as West Ham took the lead in the 20th minute with virtually their first attack.

Lingard played a neat one-two with Said Benrahma and skipped into the area, where Luke Ayling clumsily brought him down.

Lingard had wanted to take the spot-kick he won against Sheffield United last month, only for skipper Declan Rice to pull rank.

This time Lingard was allowed to take it, but Rice might well be back on penalties next time as Leeds keeper Ilan Meslier saved the Manchester United loanee’s weak effort.

Fortunately for a relieved Lingard, the ball bounced straight back to his feet and he gratefully tucked in the rebound.

Eight minutes later West Ham doubled their lead, Dawson arriving at the far post to head in Aaron Cresswell’s corner.

The transformation of Dawson has almost been as impressive as that of West Ham – the centre-half who could not get a game in the Championship at Watford earlier this season could soon be a Champions League player.

He almost added a third before half-time but this time his header, from another Cresswell corner, came back off a post.

Bamford should have halved the deficit at the start of the second half when he was put through by Diego Llorente.

The striker had time to let the ball run into his stride and open his body to curl the ball around Lukasz Fabianski, only to send it the wrong side of the post.

At the other end Pablo Fornals took aim from 25 yards and his volley looped over Meslier bounced off the crossbar.

Leeds continued to create chances but Fabianski saved a fierce drive from Raphinha, Bamford lifted a sitter over the crossbar and Dawson capped a man-of-the-match display by clearing a late deflection off Vladimir Coufal off the line.