LONDON (Reuters) – West Ham United squandered an opportunity to cement fourth spot within the Premier League as they misplaced 3-2 at house to Leeds United on Sunday with Jack Harrison scoring a hat-trick for the guests.
After three successive wins West Ham had the prospect to open up a five-point hole between themselves and fifth-placed Arsenal whose sport at Tottenham Hotspur was postponed.
But Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, lacking seven gamers by way of harm or suspension, had different concepts.
Harrison opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a pinpoint end however Jarrod Bowen equalised with a header within the thirty fourth minute — his fourth aim in his final three video games.
Harrison touched in from shut vary three minutes later to give Leeds the halftime lead.
When Pablo Fornals levelled once more with a exact end seven minutes after the break it appeared West Ham would go and win however Leeds responded in magnificent trend.
Harrison’s deft end after dazzling play by Raphinha restored their lead and Raphinha rattled the woodwork with an excellent free kick earlier than Leeds had an effort by Mateusz Klich dominated out for a harsh offside.
The win lifted Leeds to fifteenth, 9 factors above the relegation zone.
West Ham remained fourth with 37 factors however the three sides under them — Arsenal (35), Tottenham (33) and Manchester United (32) all have at least two video games in hand.
“We have gotten this far and doing rather well. We are nonetheless within the high 4 at the minute,” West Ham’s Declan Rice mentioned. “This was an enormous likelihood to shut the hole on Chelsea in second, however that’s soccer. It is about the way you bounce again.”
It was an unbelievable effort from a weakened Leeds who have been additional handicapped when Junior Firpo and Adam Forshaw had to be substituted halfway by way of the primary half.
They began beautifully and took the lead when a shot was parried by Lukasz Fabianski however Forshaw teed up Harrison who shot left-footed into the nook.
Bowen, on track when West Ham beat Leeds within the FA Cup final week, was given far an excessive amount of area to equalise however West Ham all the time seemed weak to the slick attacking of the guests, for whom Raphinha was excellent.
Harrison made it 2-1 when he nudged in Luke Ayling’s goalbound header.
Leeds’s want to play from the again caught them out within the 52nd minute when Ayling’s cross was intercepted and Fornals minimize in from the correct to rating previous Illan Meslier.
West Ham have been responsible of carelessly giving the ball away on the hour and have been punished as Raphinha threaded a cross to Harrison who dinked a deft end over Fabianski.
Leeds have been denied a fourth when extra ability by Raphinha noticed Klich fireplace house however his shot dismissed Rodrigo who was on the goalline and deemed to be offside.
Andriy Yarmolenko had a aim dominated out for West Ham for offside and Bowen wasted a last-gasp likelihood.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, modifying by Ed Osmond)
by 
