Leeds United suffered a devastating blow to their Premier League survival hopes on Sunday afternoon as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium. The loss leaves Leeds 18th in the table, two points and one place adrift of Everton, with an inferior goal difference as well. The Toffees host Bournemouth on the last day of the Premier League season while Leeds welcome Tottenham to Elland Road, so things are not over for the Yorkshire club, but they look bleak.
The game in east London had started brightly for Sam Allardyce and his men as they looked much the brighter of the two teams and took the lead on 17 minutes through a fantastic Rodrigo strike. After West Ham booked their place in the Europa Conference League final on Thursday and with their own Premier League safety secured, it looked like the home side were lacking motivation and energy compared to their guests. However, that situation did not last long and Leeds couldn’t keep up their early superiority, with Declan Rice finishing off a fine move to equalise just after the half hour mark. A loss of Patrick Bamford to injury in the first half did not help the rhythm of the visiting side, but they never really got much going again after such a good start.
On 72 minutes Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead, latching onto a Danny Ings ball and producing a smart finish. The goal seemed to drain life and belief from Leeds and they struggled to look convincingly like equalising from there on in. There was a chance for substitute Crysencio Summerville, but they couldn’t find a way through. Deep into injury time Manuel Lanzini put the final nail in the coffin after great work from Lucas Paqueta in the corner as West Ham looked to be wasting time before he beat two defenders and pulled it back for the Argentine to finish sharply.
The goal from Rodrigo looked like it could begin a superb day for Leeds as he lashed in a volley from a long Weston McKennie throw. At that time West Ham did not look good, but they found some rhythm and produced a fine goal themselves through Rice. The impressive Bowen played a one-two with Pablo Fornals to burst into the penalty box before finding Rice at the back post with an accurate cross which the England man finished expertly. Leeds never got going again, struggling to create any chances and a moment when McKennie took the ball off Wilfried Gnonto’s head when the Italian was in a much better place to nod in a cross, symptomatic of their performance.
Bowen’s well-taken goal with 20 minutes to play should not have been the final straw for a team fighting the drop, but it felt like it was. Leeds struggled on but rarely threatened. The Hammers continued to look the more dangerous side on the break than Leeds did pushing for an equaliser and Lanzini duly got one in the 94th minute. Allardyce must now motivate his side to go and beat Tottenham on the final day of the season and hope Everton suffer a disastrous loss at home to Bournemouth. Leicester are the other side fighting for their Premier League lives, one place and one point behind Leeds after this result but with a game in hand which comes at Newcastle on Monday night.
Declan Rice may be leaving West Ham this summer and enjoyed what could be his last goal at the London Stadium (Picture: Getty Images). Sam Allardyce will need a miraculous final day of the Premier League season if Leeds United are to survive relegation as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The loss leaves Leeds 18th in the table, two points and one place adrift of Everton, with an inferior goal difference as well. The Toffees host Bournemouth on the last day of the Premier League season while Leeds welcome Tottenham to Elland Road, so things are not over for the Yorkshire club, but they look bleak.
The game in east London had started brilliantly for Sam Allardyce and his men as they looked much the brighter of the two teams and took the lead on 17 minutes through a fantastic Rodrigo strike. After West Ham booked their place in the Europa Conference League final on Thursday and with their own Premier League safety secured, it looked like the home side were lacking motivation and energy compared to their guests. However, that situation did not last long and Leeds couldn’t keep up their early superiority, with Declan Rice finishing off a fine move to equalise just after the half hour mark. A loss of Patrick Bamford to injury in the first half did not help the rhythm of the visiting side, but they never really got much going again after such a good start.
On 72 minutes Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead, latching onto a Danny Ings ball and