Leeds United piled more misery on struggling West Ham with a 2-1 victory at Elland Road, leaving Nuno Espírito Santo’s side second-bottom and winless in eight league games.
Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon scored within the opening 15 minutes as Leeds capitalised on shambolic West Ham defending. Aaronson pounced first, reacting quickest to Jayden Bogle’s header across goal, before Rodon doubled the lead by nodding in unmarked from Sean Longstaff’s corner.
West Ham, lacking confidence and cohesion, offered little threat until late on. Lucas Paquetá saw a first-half equaliser ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR delay caused by a technical fault, and Manuel Fernandes’ glancing header in the 90th minute came too late to spark a comeback.
Captain Jarrod Bowen admitted the team are “in trouble now”, urging teammates to “step up and fight”. Nuno, visibly frustrated on the touchline, lamented his side’s frailty. “Our approach to duels, defensive tactics, confidence – so many things need improvement,” he said.
Leeds, under Daniel Farke, showed greater organisation and resilience, with Aaronson almost scoring a spectacular solo goal after a 60-yard run. “It was a priceless three points,” Farke said. “We had fighting will, passion and spirit to get it over the line.”
For West Ham, however, the defeat deepens an alarming slump — and Nuno’s task to steady the ship looks more daunting than ever.
