West Ham United took a giant stride towards Premier League survival this afternoon courtesy of a 2-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Joao Mario gave the visitors a deserved lead with 11 minutes remaining of the first half, sweeping home his finish from close range after being found by Marko Arnautovic's cutback.
Mark Noble then sealed the points in spectacular style with a stunning first-time volley shortly after the hour mark to lift the Hammers six points clear of the relegation zone.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Leicester have gone off the boil in recent months yet could still ensure a top-half finish today, but it is West Ham who are in desperate need of a victory. The Hammers are in a precarious position with just three games of the season remaining, but a win here would be a huge step towards survival.
We will have a closer look at the situations of both teams in a short while, but first let's check out the team news...
Well, the headline news as far as the home side are concerned is that Vicente Iborra has been passed fit to start this one, having been struggling with a hamstring injury of late. The Spaniard returned to training earlier this week but was still considering a doubt for this game until a late fitness test, which he has passed.
Schmeichel, Okazaki, Ndidi, Huth, James, Chilwell, Simpson and Amartey are all sidelined for Claude Puel's side, while Marc Albrighton today begins his suspension for the red card he picked up against Crystal Palace. Albrighton has also been charged with misconduct, so could face an even longer spell on the sidelines.
Mahrez in particular will be of interest to watch with speculation over his future beginning to swirl again, despite the winger revealing that he has withdrawn the transfer request he submitted in January. The likes of Man City and Arsenal are understood to still be interested in the Algerian, so he could be playing some of his final games for Leicester over the closing weeks of the season.
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Iheanacho and Gray drop to the bench, meanwhile, as the Foxes bring Benalouane, Fuchs, Iborra, Silva and Diabate into their starting XI.
Carroll was sent home from training following a row with Moyes and was fined by the club for leaving the bench early during the defeat to Manchester City, having been overlooked as Moyes made a triple change. However, he has since apologised for his behaviour and is now back in the fold.
Adrian retains his place in the squad, then, having also started against Man City due to Hart being ineligible. Hart is running out of time to force his way back in Gareth Southgate's thinking as England's number one, so to miss this one through illness will be a big blow to him.
Arnautovic has been directly involved in eight goals in his last seven Premier League away games for Moyes's side, scoring five times and creating three more for his teammates too.
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One of those changes comes in midfield as Joao Mario is recalled in place of Fernandes, who drops to the bench, and Patrice Evra is also among the subs having been replaced in the starting lineup by Masuaku.
Leicester are winless in their last four games, and most recently fell to a chastening 5-0 defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Crystal Palace last weekend. At the very least, Claude Puel will want a response to that drubbing.
Southampton fans may warn the Foxes against sacking Puel considering the position they find themselves in now, but the Leicester owners certainly aren't shy to controversially sacking a manager - as Nigel Pearson, Claudio Ranieri and Craig Shakespeare will testify to.
The Foxes are four points clear of the bottom half and could guarantee that top-half finish today, but defeat would ensure that they can also finish no higher than their current position of ninth. It is mid-table mediocrity for Leicester at the moment.
However, they have still only won two of their last 11 league games, losing five times, and looking even further back they have picked up just four wins from their last 18 stretching back to before Christmas.
Another blank today would make it three games without scoring for the first time since January 2016, and that run could well continue to the end of the season considering they have a difficult run-in which sees them face North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham in their final two games.
Indeed, the Foxes are currently on a five-game winless streak here across all competitions, which is their longest run since December 2014. Leicester have lost seven home games this season, but have also beaten the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Burnley here, all of whom are above them in the table.
This will be the fifth time Claude Puel and David Moyes have come up against each other, incidentally, and Puel is as yet unbeaten in those meetings, winning two and drawing two of the previous four.
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Matters are still in West Ham's hands, but a three-point gap over the relegation zone certainly isn't safe. Southampton take on Everton in the late kickoff today, and there will be plenty of West Ham fans watching on in interest I am sure.
Perhaps the biggest concern for Moyes heading into the closing stages of the campaign will be the difficulty of his side's run-in. Leicester may not be in the best of form, but they can still pose a massive threat and after today Moyes takes on two of his former clubs - Manchester United and Everton - to see out the season.
The most recent of those was last weekend when West Ham were brushed aside by champions Manchester City, who coasted to a 4-1 victory to make it back-to-back losses by that scoreline for David Moyes's side.
Another defeat today would see the Hammers lose three games in a row for only the second time this season - the first coming in March - which is a little surprising for a team in their precarious predicament. However, they have also failed to win back-to-back matches at any point this season, and it is that lack of consistency which could end up costing them.
There have been 30 goals in West Ham's last eight league matches, but only nine of them have come from the Hammers. It is no surprise, then, that they have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, and only once have they ever conceded more in a Premier League season than the 67 they have shipped this time around - letting in 70 in 2010-11 when they finished bottom of the table.
The Hammers have not kept a clean sheet on the road since December 16, but at the other end their scoring run is even longer, finding the back of the net in 10 successive games on the road since November. That run has already equalled the club's Premier League record, and you have to go back to December 1966 for a longer scoring streak from West Ham.
West Ham come into this one winless in their last six away games in all competitions, losing five of those, so they will be thankful that this is their final away game of the season.
This is an intriguing game considering Leicester have little but pride left to fight for, whereas West Ham should be fighting for their levels. On paper it should be a home win, but both sides are in poor form so it could go either way. I am going to sit on the fence and go for a draw.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Leicester 2-2 West Ham
That run stretches back to December 2014, so the Foxes have certainly been something of a bogey team for the Hammers in recent years.
Indeed, West Ham's winless run away to Leicester stretches back to their time at Filbert Street, failing to come out on top in their last five attempts with two draws and three defeats. The Hammers did actually win three of their first five Premier League away games against Leicester prior to this run.
Leicester did come out on top the last time they hosted West Ham, though, with Islam Slimani scoring the only goal of a New Year's Eve game in 2016.
LEICESTER STARTING XI: Hamer; Benalouane, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Choudhury, Iborra, Silva, Mahrez; Diabaté; Vardy
WEST HAM STARTING XI: Adrian; Ogbonna, Rice, Cresswell; Zabaleta, Noble, Kouyate, Mario, Masuaku; Lanzini; Arnautovic
Once again it comes down the left flank as Masuaku storms past Benalouane before lifting his cross to the back post. Arnautovic takes it down before turning it back inside, where Mario is waiting to stroke his finish home.
9 - Marko Arnautovic has been involved in nine goals in his last eight Premier League away games (5 goals, 4 assists). Trip.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 5, 2018
West Ham go into the break with a valuable lead which would take them a huge step closer to survival if they can hold out. The visitors have been by far the better team, with Leicester failing to turn up at all so far.
Once again the move began down the left flank, which has provided most of West Ham's chances so far, as Masuaku stood the ball up to the back post where Arnautovic was waiting. The Austrian took a touch before knocking the ball back inside for Mario, who was left with a simple finish.
Lanzini has also looked dangerous for the visitors, while Masuaku has caused plenty of problems down the left flank too. There are more goals in this one for West Ham if they really push for them.
Claude Puel may well look to make a change at the interval just to inject some life into his side. They have not looked interested so far today, with the likes of Mahrez and Vardy being peripheral figures at best.
A free kick into the box is cleared as far as the West Ham skipper, and he produces a perfect volley. The ball bounces once as it zips right into the bottom corner, leaving Hamer no chance. Everything about that volley was perfect - a goal of the season contender from Noble.
37 - Only Paolo Di Canio (47) and Carlton Cole (41) have scored more Premier League goals for West Ham than Mark Noble (37, level with Trevor Sinclair). Iron.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 5, 2018
Joao Mario opened the scoring for the Hammers in the first half, but the headlines were written by Mark Noble, whose spectacular volley shortly after the hour mark put the game beyond a toothless Leicester side.
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as West Ham move six points clear of the relegation zone courtesy of a 2-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
