Leeds United 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League Friday night football in Yorkshire – a scenario that have been a rarity in Leeds for many a decade.
Yet here we were, a meeting between two managers with very different approaches and both hoping to create their own Premier League highlights to move up the table.
Given that backdrop, it was hardly surprising this was entertaining fare.
It’s points, rather than platitudes, which are the hard-nosed currency of top-flight football; and this is something Marcelo Bielsa’s team is finding out fast as their run extended to just one victory in six.
For West Ham, what a fine way to bounce back from their somewhat unfortunate defeat last weekend and climb up to fifth in the table (for now).
Highlights of the game
The main talking point before kick-off had been Bielsa’s decision to announce his team in his news conference 48 hours before this game.
Whether that gave David Moyes and West Ham more time to prepare to probe the hosts’ weaknesses is unclear but certainly, Moyes did not consider the step that uncommon.
‘Very often the teams were named beforehand in Spain,’ said the Scot, referencing his time in La Liga with Real Sociedad in 2014-15.
It certainly did not seem to affect the home side’s quick start either as they led within six minutes.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski brought down in-form Patrick Bamford, and while the shot-stopper saved Mateusz Klich’s spot-kick, VAR ruled Fabianski was off his line and ordered a re-take which the Pole duly despatched.
For anyone who had followed the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds and my betting tip, it was an ideal start.
It was also an ideal start for Leeds who saw Luke Ayling named in defence with Robin Koch, who was out for up to three months following knee surgery and Diego Llorente nursing a muscle strain.
With West Ham top scorer Michail Antonio out, that meant Sebastien Haller was asked to lead the line and threaten a weakened home rearguard.
If the decision to allow the penalty to be retaken seemed slightly harsh, West Ham’s response was full of character and they deservedly drew level through a Tomas Soucek header midway through the first half from a Jarrod Bowen corner, although Illan Meslier’s attempts to stop it were weak.
The contest remained too close to call and could have gone either way but, as each second-half moment passed, West Ham started to have a distinct edge.
New recruit from Brentford, Said Benrahma, and Pablo Fornals both went close before Meslier kept out Fabian Balbuena’s header.
Nine minutes from time, though, and there was nothing the French goalkeeper could do as Angelo Ogbonna leapt high to power home what proved to be the winner.
It would have been more had Meslier not denied Haller’s acrobatic effort before Balbuena struck the woodwork.
It didn’t matter – West Ham had a deserved win on a December Friday night in Yorkshire.
Key statistics
West Ham have earned 20 points from their 12 league games this season – only in 2015-16 did they hit the 20-point mark sooner in a Premier League campaign (10 games).
The Hammers have only lost twice in nine away league matches.
This was West Ham’s 50th away league trip to Leeds and just their seventh success.
Since his Premier League debut in February, only Harry Kane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (both four) have more headed goals in the competition than Soucek (three).
Klich has scored each of Leeds United’s last three league penalties.
This was the first time they have lost a top-flight home game played on a Friday (won three, drawn six, lost one).
West Ham had only won one of their previous 26 Premier League games when conceding first before tonight (v Chelsea in July).
Leeds have conceded 22 goals in 12 league games. They let in only 35 goals in 46 Championship matches last term.
Leeds have conceded seven goals from set pieces in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties); the joint-most in the competition, along with Leicester.
They have gone five matches without a win at Elland Road, losing three times, drawing twice and scoring only three goals.
What’s next?
The heavily congested season continues apace for both clubs. Leeds are at home again next midweek as they host Covid-hit Newcastle United before a first league trip to Old Trafford for 16 years to face Manchester United next Sunday (December 20).
West Ham have two London derbies in quick succession as they welcome Crystal Palace to town next Wednesday and then travel to Chelsea on December 21.
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