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Leeds’ Achilles heel from set pieces came back to haunt them again as West Ham rallied to win 2-1 at Elland Road.
Despite their fluidity in football with Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites have often been chaotic behind in their return to the Premier League, especially on free kicks and corners, and Tomas Soucek and Angelo Ogbonna were the beneficiaries on Friday.
FULL MATCH DETAILS
Mateusz Klich had given Leeds an early lead from the vantage point, but imposing headers from the Hammers pair ensured that the points returned to London.
Leeds coach Bielsa made headlines by naming his team before the game and was true to his word with his teams, but could not have timed a better start as his team took a repeated penalty in the fifth minute.
Liam Cooper split West Ham’s defense to send eight-goal forward Patrick Bamford down and was brought down by Lukasz Fabianski as he circled him.
The Polish goalkeeper saved his compatriot Klich’s initial effort, but replays showed that he got off his line and Klich was not wrong a second time.
There were chances at both ends afterwards, Sebastien Haller spinning and shooting Illan Meslier at one end, while Leeds forward Rodrigo should have done better with a quick shot at the other.
West Ham tied in the 25th minute, typically from a set piece that has increasingly become Leeds’ weakness. Jarrod Bowen’s corner kick was met by Soucek, whose drilled header was too strong for Meslier, who should have done better.
Rodrigo then turned down the opportunity to regain the lead almost immediately, attacking from the right but shooting directly at Fabianski.
Bamford had a header that he could perhaps have done better with as halftime approached, while VAR verified a hand against Ogbonna, but the sides tied at halftime.
Clearly upset by what he had seen, Bielsa made two changes at Leeds at halftime, Jack Harrison and Gjanni Alioski making way for Helder Costa and Jamie Shackleton.
Bamford then fired wide around the corner, before Luke Ayling’s good close-range blocking ensured that Haller’s shot went over, and the same player then turned over from Meslier.
As both sides were looking for a second, Said Benrahma, making his first start for the Hammers, threw a free kick from a tight angle, before causing Meslier to panic with a curling iron for the first time from the edge of the box that was just outside. centimeters away.
Kalvin Phillips tried to make something happen to Leeds and opened wide, while Fabianski hit a 25-yard Klich half volley.
Pablo Fornals then missed Meslier’s second post by inches as he slipped behind Cooper’s failed attempt to clear, before the keeper made a rather impressive save with one hand to repel Fabian Balbuena’s header.
However, he had little chance in the 80th minute as he couldn’t get close to Ogbonna’s header, which came from a perfect cross by Aaron Cresswell after a sloppy foul by Costa.
There was still time for Meslier to turn off Haller with another one-handed cookie and Balbuena to cut a pole, though Leeds should have leveled when Rodrigo meekly addressed Fabianski.
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