Leeds United secured a vital 2-0 victory against West Ham United in their latest Premier League clash at Elland Road. The match, held on a crisp afternoon, showcased Leeds’ effective attacking strategy, particularly in set-piece situations, while West Ham struggled defensively. With this victory, Leeds climbed six points away from the bottom three, delivering a crucial shot in the arm to their survival bid.
American midfielder Brenden Aaronson put Leeds up 1-0 just three minutes into the match. He paid them back by setting an aggressive tone for the fixture from jump! He was technically the first U.S. International to score, scoring an early goal. Then later in the first half, Joe Rodon pounced from a set-piece situation to double the lead. Although they didn’t look completely cohesive with the ball, Leeds looked lethal on the counterattack and took advantage of West Ham’s weaknesses easily.
Early Dominance by Leeds United
From kickoff, the home side made it clear who should be favored to win against West Ham. Aaronson’s early strike was unexpected from the away side’s perspective, but it quickly exposed the competing side’s back line struggles. Leeds’ aggressive and quick-movement approach seemed to put the West Ham defense on its heels, making them back peddle and desperately try to find their shape again.
Rodon’s goal just deepened the impression Leeds are extremely poor at defending set pieces. It was the defender’s second goal of the match, a reminder of the visitors’ struggles to defend set piece deliveries and dangerous crossing situations. As West Ham quickly discovers, it’s a nagging issue. They’ve allowed nine goals from corners over their past nine games.
“A simple explanation: we didn’t deal with the problems. We didn’t deal with the things in our box, the set-pieces, we didn’t deal with the second balls. We didn’t deal with many things.” – Nuno Espirito Santo
Most importantly, Leeds United left everything on the field. Most notably, they completely outran West Ham – covering almost seven kilometers more on the pitch. This matching intensity not only showed their heart, but produced countless chances to double or even triple their lead.
West Ham’s Struggles Continue
West Ham’s defense had a very bad day at the office, especially when dealing with set pieces and crosses. This is an even worse failure considering the team has been horrendous dealing with these situations all year long. Their political failure was most evident when they released both goals well short of their original target.
Espirito Santo’s most egregious tactical mistake was an overall poor lineup fielded against Leeds. The team’s overall disconnection, along with their defensive structure, made it hard to believe that they were ready for such an important fixture. Even in his post-match press conference, the manager conceded these failings.
“These kinds of mistakes are unacceptable,” he stated, emphasizing the need for improvement.
Callum Wilson’s early introduction as a substitute after the injury of Ollie Scarles did little to change West Ham’s fortunes. Regardless of his heroic efforts, the team could not overcome or counter any major challenge from Leeds, adding to their season woes this year.
Leeds United’s Path Forward
It’s a big win and a big three points for Leeds United as they push through on a tough Premier League campaign. Earlier, manager Daniel Farke had told the BBC how happy he was with the performance and the result. He admitted to the pressure that had mounted after a run of results from the previous weeks and the need to start picking up points.
“I’m delighted and happy with the three points. It’s difficult to explain how we were standing there after the last three games with just one point in our hands. Today we got it over the line.” – Daniel Farke
Regardless of tactics, Farke’s side displayed tremendous organization and fight. These qualities will be important as they look ahead and deeper into the season. Apart from the uplifting morale that comes with public recognition of talent, the win places their new club above the relegation muddy waters.
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