Leeds pile more misery on West Ham with comfortable victory at Elland Road

By Mark Walker, PA

Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon scored early goals as Leeds beat West Ham 2-1 at Elland Road to heap more misery on the Londoners.

Aaronson pounced on a rebound before Rodon headed Leeds 2-0 up inside 15 minutes and they held on for their third Premier League win of the season after Hammers substitute Mateus Fernandes’ last-minute header cut the deficit.

West Ham have made their worst start to a top-flight season, with four points from their first nine matches, and after their winless league run was extended to six games they remain in the bottom three.

Hammers head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced the sacked Graham Potter in September, has not won any of his four games in charge, while Leeds climbed up to 13th in the table ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

Leeds, whose 23-game unbeaten home league run was halted by Tottenham in their previous match at Elland Road, stormed into a third-minute lead.

Noah Okafor’s header from Jayden Bogle’s deep cross was parried by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and Aaronson turned home the rebound.

Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri, recalled after a thigh injury, saved at the second attempt from Jarrod Bowen’s sweetly struck bicycle kick, but the home side were rewarded for their trademark high-tempo start with a second goal in the 15th minute.

Rodon, recently praised by Leeds boss Daniel Farke for his improved goal threat from set pieces this season, all too easily shrugged off his marker Lucas Paqueta to head home Sean Longstaff’s corner for his second goal of the season.

The Hammers were dealt another first-half blow when left-back Ollie Scarles was forced off after lengthy treatment on an apparent shoulder injury and he was replaced by Callum Wilson.

A late flag from a linesman and a protracted VAR check to confirm Paqueta had been offside before slamming home a ricochet inside the area, only added to the visitors’ frustrations.

Former Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville, making his first return to Elland Road following his departure in 2024, was then booked for his late challenge on Longstaff.

During 13 minutes of added time before the interval – Leeds left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson also needed treatment before being replaced by James Justin – Okafor and Bogle went close to adding the hosts’ third.

There were boos from the away end at half-time and Leeds hit the crossbar through Aaronson’s brilliant run and deflected shot soon after the restart.

West Ham enjoyed more possession in the second period as Leeds began to sit deeper, but the Londoners struggled to create any clear openings until the final minute when Fernandes guided a neat header beyond Perri from Bowen’s cross.

Leeds fans endured an anxious four minutes of added time, but the Hammers did not muster another opening.