West Ham 2-0 Leeds: Jesse Lingard, Craig Dawson hit to move Hammers fifth | Football news

Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson continued their scoring streak to bring West Ham back to fifth place with a 2-0 win over Leeds on Monday Night Football.

Lingard opened the scoring with the rebound of his own penalty in the 21st minute, saved by Illan Meslier, after the Manchester United loan was brought down by Luke Ayling inside the visiting penalty area.

Dawson doubled the lead by taking advantage of Leeds’ Achilles heel on set pieces to bury a free header from a corner seven minutes later, before leaning in to head into someone else’s post before the break.

Leeds missed plenty of chances in each half with Patrick Bamford twice guilty of gold-edge fouls and substitute Rodrigo’s effort cleared the line at the end.

Instead, the hosts taught their visitors a lesson in clinical completion, with Dawson and Lingard now scorers of seven of West Ham’s last 13 Premier League goals, to jump Everton to fifth place, two points from one place. in the top four.

Leeds spendthrift punished by clinical hammers

Leeds started at their usual intensity and saw an early goal disallowed by a marginal offside call against Helder Costa, a minute after he had already finished off when he was well placed on a brilliant start from the visitors.

Marcelo Bielsa has seen many of those before, but they have often been crumbled by poor defense. It was no different at the London Stadium, where Ayling tracked Lingard’s run into the box before hanging a tentative leg that sent the midfielder tumbling, right in front of referee Mike Dean.

Meslier easily saved Lingard’s tremendous shot, but rejected it directly on his way, where he scored his fourth goal since his loan out in January.

Seven minutes later, the lead doubled when Aaron Cresswell’s corner was buried in the back post by Dawson, who then hit the post with another in first-half injury time.

Bielsa made two changes at half-time and looked to inject some life into a Leeds side that had faltered after the second goal. They lacked just one finishing touch for a route back into the game, and Bamford made a wide one-on-one before Lukasz Fabianski magnificently flipped Raphinha’s deflected bike kick.

Pablo Fornals shook the bar from range on West Ham’s closest half attempt as they concentrated on seeing the win, which would have been more difficult if Bamford hadn’t skied another effort from eight yards or Dawson had denied Rodrigo. On the line.

But as it was, with no Leeds goal coming up, David Moyes could breathe easy with his team taking another step to alter the odds this season, with a five-point gap now open to eighth place, and only two holding them back from an advantage. Champions League venue.

What the managers said …

West Ham Manager David moyes He said Sky Sports: “We had a bit of control, but I didn’t enjoy it. We did not have a good time, nothing to do with how we played. But what we’re doing well is being tough and tough to beat and keeping the ball out of the net as much as we can. All those things are part of football.

“We are doing very well at the moment. We are having a good season, but we could have a great season. Our goal is to have a great season. If it were to end now, we would probably say we did well this year. I was disappointed when we came out of the first four.

“I’m not going to say we’re going to end on that, but why can’t we just hang on and see what we can do? Anything in the top half of the league would be seen as a strong season for West Ham.” . “

Leeds Manager Marcelo bielsa: “The first 15 minutes were very good, the last 30 minutes of the first half we defended poorly. In the second half we defended well and attacked well, and I think that except for those 30 minutes we were superior.

“As we cannot ignore those 30 minutes, my conclusion is that we played better in the second half than they did in the first half, the differences in the first half were smaller than in the second half.”

Rice: it is in our own hands

West Ham captain Declan Rice tells Sky Sports:

“I’ve played in the first team for four years and I said last week, this is the best team I’ve ever been a part of in West Ham.

“It is the second round of the coach, the players that we have brought, it is a real pleasure. You wake up and hope to go to train, see the boys.”

“It’s a great football environment, and that shows on the court, how we are off the court. How the coach made us play, it is a really special place to be at this moment, and for that to continue for a long time.

“It is difficult to come and say that we are going to be in the Champions League, there are many games left, Chelsea have reached a fantastic form and Tottenham too. It is going to be a very tough test, but looking at where we are compared.” to last season, it’s a massive update.

“It is in our hands, we have Manchester United after Arsenal, if we want to move on and we believe that we can be a European team, be it the Europa League, the Champions League, we have to win the big games. We just have to keep going. , take each game as it comes, and we’ll be ready. “

Man of the Match – Craig Dawson

A colossus on both ends of the field, Dawson is fast becoming one of the best signings of the Premier League season, something few expected when brought in from relegated Watford, where he had barely received applause.

Alan Smith of Sky Sports said: “Craig Dawson has been at the heart of West Ham’s defense, the climax of which was the clearance of the goal line. He also got that goal, which was important. A solid performance from the middle – back that he wasn’t even a Premier League player at the start of the season. “

Opt for facts

• West Ham completed their first league double over Leeds since 1953-54 in the second division, and their first in the top flight since 1929-30.
• Leeds have lost 13 of their last 14 matches in London in all competitions (D1), losing all five in the capital in the Premier League this season.
• West Ham have scored 15 set pieces in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), more than any other team, while Leeds have delivered the majority of set pieces (excluding penalties): 14 .
• No team has faced more penalties in the Premier League this season than Leeds (8, tied with Liverpool), with seven of them converted by the rival.
• West Ham United have won three consecutive Premier League games at home for the first time since March 2019, while coach David Moyes has recorded three straight wins at home in the competition for the first time since winning his last six as a manager. from Everton in 2013.
• Jesse Lingard has scored four goals in his six Premier League appearances for West Ham, as many as he did in his last 38 top flight appearances for Manchester United.
• No Premier League defender has scored more goals in all competitions this season than West Ham’s Craig Dawson (4).
• West Ham winger Aaron Cresswell has recorded seven Premier League assists this season (in 27 games), their best joint comeback in a competitive season (7 in 36 games in 2017-18).

Whats Next?

West Ham’s European credentials will be put to the test again with a trip to Manchester United on Sunday, live Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm; start at 7.15pm.

Leeds will host Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime; start at 12.30 pm.