Match Recap: West Ham United 2-3 Leeds United

Leeds United returned to The London Stadium after their FA Cup defeat and got their own back, beating West Ham 3-2 in a thrilling game in the capital.

The Whites started well and took the lead on 11 minutes as Raphinha latched onto an excellent long ball from Luke Ayling. Raphinha took the ball inside, taking his time before picking out Klich whose shot was well saved by Fabianski. The loose ball was picked up by Forshaw who laid it off to Harrison who buried it into the far corner.

The side were rocked by a double injury to Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo, being replaced by Leo Hjelde and Lewis Bate. The Hammers could smell an opportunity and piled on the pressure, with Antonio almost scoring had it not been for a heroic block by Dallas.

West Ham did get their equaliser on 34 minutes after a warning shot four minutes earlier was not heeded. Jarrod Bowen lost his marker from a corner, nodding the ball past Meslier from six yards out.

But Leeds responded as Jack Harrison scored again, this time Raphinha’s corner was nodded toward the back post by Ayling where Harrison was waiting to force the ball over the line.

The Whites finished the half fairly strongly, with Dan James getting a couple of chances to make it 3-1 before the break. But things changed early in the second half, as Pablo Fornals who took up possession from the left side, dribbling inside and finishing low into the bottom left corner.

All looked lost in that moment for Leeds, as West Ham were looking the likely winners, but Harrison wasn’t having it. Dallas nipped in to win the ball back on the right and shift it to Raphinha. He drove up the pitch before sliding a peach of a pass through to Harrison on the left channel who lifted it over the keeper to complete his hat-trick.

It might’ve been even better when Raphinha skinned Diop on the right before driving to the by-line and finding Klich arriving late in the box and finishing the move well. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR due to the ball hitting Rodrigo on the goal-line, who had been in an offside position.

West Ham had a disallowed goal of their own as Meslier pulled-off two wordlie saves from Coufal and Bowen, who was flagged offside before Yarmolenko put the ball in the net.

And they should’ve snatched a point at the death as The Hammers caught out the Leeds defence with a quick free-kick played to Antonio down the left flank. His cross was deflected by Dallas and propped up perfectly for an open Jarrod Bowen, who couldn’t adjust himself in time to score with the goal at his mercy.

Not a perfect performance from Leeds, but an absolutely massive win nonetheless, especially with the visit of Newcastle at Elland Road next weekend.