USMNT forward Brenden Aaronson scored his first Premier League goal in over three years as Leeds United piled more misery on visiting West Ham United with a 2-1 win on Friday at Elland Road.
Aaronson poked a loose ball home in the third minute and Joe Rodon headed Leeds in front by two at the quarter-hour mark, as Daniel Farke’s men picked up a big three points over a perceived relegation rival.
WATCH — Leeds v West Ham full match replay
Nuno Espirito Santo is still without answers at West Ham despite a 90th-minute goal from Mateus Fernandes, his first for the Irons. West Ham lost yet again despite an improved performance from Monday’s ugly loss to Brentford.
West Ham remain 19th with four points while Leeds leap into 13th with 11 points.
West Ham’s sinking feeling dips lower
Yes, West Ham were better Friday than Monday, but that bar was low enough for an agile ant to clear with ease. It’s bad enough that West Ham have lost seven of their nine games between the Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo eras, but they’ve now handed three points to Sunderland, Brentford, and Leeds United. It’s difficult to find answers to what’s ailing West Ham right now. Who are the standout players besides Jarrod Bowen, Malick Diouf, and Lucas Paqueta? Maybe Alphonse Areola or Max Kilman, but both aren’t near their best. Maybe the injured Konstantinos Mavropanos? Nuno has not figured out how to use big buys Soungoutou Magassa and Friday’s goal scorer Fernandes. Andy Irving and Tomas Soucek look slow, Crysencio Summerville looks like all-flash, no finish, and the full back situation is a nightmare outside of Diouf. It’s ugly. And it needs January.
What’s next?
Leeds go to Brighton at 11am ET on Saturday, November 1, the day before West Ham hosts Newcastle United in London.
How to watch Leeds vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday
Venue: Elland Road — West Yorkshire
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Leeds vs West Ham live updates, final score: 2-1
Brenden Aaronson 3', Joe Rodon 15', Mateus Fernandes 90'
Full time — Leeds United 2-1 West Ham United
Not good enough from West Ham, but perhaps the late goal can be a proper kick in the right direction (even if it came via header).
Mateus Fernandes goal — Leeds 2-1 West Ham
Jarrod Bowen gets the ball on the right flank and cuts inside to cross a ball toward the penalty spot.
Mateus Fernandes leaps and turns the header inside the far post and the Irons will head into four minutes’ stoppage time down a goal.
Leeds make last changes
Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha are into the game for Aaronson and Calvert-Lewin in the 86th.
Final West Ham changes
Off go a lustily-booed Summerville and Wan-Bissaka and in favor Soungoutou Magassa and Kyle Walker-Peters in the 79th minute.
Leeds sub as Irons continue to be frustrated
Ao Tanaka will exit in favor of Ilia Gruev in the 72nd minute.
Leeds are giving West Ham possession with bodies behind the ball, but West Ham is having little luck getting into any positions of danger.
West Ham subs
Freddie Potts and Mateus Fernandes take the places of Irving and Soucek in the 65th minute.
Aaronson feeling it
The American takes the ball away from a 1v1 with slow-to-react Andy Irving, and off he goes on a 70-something yard dribble.
West Ham give him time and space, and Aaronson lets fly from 23 yards or so only to see the ball bound off an Irons defender and out for a corner.
One sub at the break
Jack Harrison is into the fray for Leeds, replacing Noah Okafor.
Halftime — Leeds United 2-0 West Ham United
Nuno Espirito Santo will be furious with his back line for those goals, but he’ll also know that they were a tight offside from being within a goal.
Daniel Farke, meanwhile, will be able to count a goal from open play and another from a corner, plus a 56% possession mark. Oh, and he’s done it with Anton Stach and Lukas Nmecha on the bench.
Thirteen minutes’ stoppage!
Two injuries and a long VAR review have this half set for close to an extra quarter-hour.
Gabriel Gudmundsson injury
The Swede has to exit the game, off with a limp for ex-Leicester City man James Justin.
Lucas Paqueta goal offside
Lucas Paqueta leads a rush and Leeds pop the ball free. Callum Wilson beats Bogle to the ball and Paqueta cleans up the loose ball.
But is he offside? The lines are drawn, and he’s a foot past the last Leeds defender.
Aaronson nearly make its two, Summerville unloved
The American drives to the top of the six and nearly uses a cute move to make it 3-0.
The ball goes to the other end and ex-Leeds man Crysencio Summerville is being booed with gusto by Elland Road.
Enter Callum Wilson
Oliver Scarles is in serious discomfort after a shot to his upper body.
He’ll come off for Callum Wilson, and the Irons will reorganized their team down two in the 25th minute.
Joe Rodon goal — Leeds 2-0 West Ham
It’s a corner kick and Joe Rodon loses Tomas Soucek and/or Lucas Paqueta en route to heading home at the back post.
It might’ve not been about the coach.
Lucas Perri denies acrobatic Jarrod Bowen
A West Ham cross is nodded into the air by a challenged Bogle, and Jarrod Bowen finds his way to the loose ball for a powerful bicycle kick attempt that is blocked by a challenged Lucas Perri.
Would’ve been some answer.
Brenden Aaronson goal — Leeds 1-0 West Ham
Jayden Bogle spins a cross from the top outside right of the box, and Ethan Ampadu nods it on goal.
The ball is partially blocked but USMNT man Brenden Aaronson is first to the loose ball and stabs it over the line.
Aaronson scored nine times in the Championship last season but this is his first Premier League goal since Week 3 of the 2022-23 season versus Chelsea when he bagged his first ever PL marker.
Leeds lineup
Perri, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Rodon, Bijol, Ampadu, Longstaff, Tanaka, Aaronson, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin
West Ham United lineup
Areola, Scarles, Todibo, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Diouf, Soucek, Irving, Summerville, Bowen, Paqueta
Leeds team news, focus
OUT: Harry Gray (hip) | QUESTIONABLE: Noah Okafor (adductor), Wilfried Gnonto (calf), Ethan Ampadu (illness), Pascal Struijk (illness)
West Ham United team news, focus
OUT: George Earthy (thigh), Konstantinos Mavropanos (thigh), Niclas Fullkrug (thigh)
Leeds vs West Ham preview
Daniel Farke’s Whites have lost consecutive games to Spurs and Burnley, but the Spurs loss was competitive and Leeds are 1W-2D-1L at Elland Road this season.
West Ham, meanwhile, have looked terrible under two managers this season and that’s usually a sign that it isn’t about the manager. The Irons’ lone win this season also carries the dark humor of coming against their current boss, as Nuno Espirito Santo was running Forest for that 3-0 away West Ham win.
The Irons have been shutout four times this young season. They’ve also allowed multiple goals in all but two games. It looks grim, and Espirito Santo knows that he needs some positive soon in order for the January transfer window to carry the promise of fixing the make-up of the team.
Leeds vs West Ham prediction
Leeds have been dramatically unlucky when measuring xG against goals and xGA against conceded goals, a combined 7.68 goals to the bad side of expected. West Ham have been dreadful at both ends. However, their Monday loss showed a misery that should’ve threatened every ounce of pride in every Hammer. If West Ham don’t show up for a fight on Friday, under the lights as the lone game in the nation, it’ll feel an appropriate time to go to the silverware draw for a fork. Even in Week 9, they’d feel done. Leeds 1-1 West Ham.
