West Ham’s nightmare under Nuno Espirito Santo deepened at Elland Road as Leeds United secured a 2–1 victory, exposing the Hammers’ frailties from set pieces once again.
It took Leeds just 15 minutes to dismantle Nuno’s experimental side. Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal in over three years, before Joe Rodon doubled the lead with a powerful header from a corner.
Manuel Fernandes pulled one back late on, but it was far too little, too late for the visitors.
Nuno’s Tactics Fall Apart Early
Eyebrows were raised before kick-off when Nuno named a line-up without a recognised striker, pushing 19-year-old Ollie Scarles into an unfamiliar defensive role. The plan collapsed almost instantly.
After just three minutes, Noah Okafor’s header was parried by Alphonse Areola, but Aaronson reacted quickest to fire Leeds ahead. Then, only moments later, Rodon lost Lucas Paqueta at a corner and made it 2–0, leaving West Ham in disarray.
Frustration grew among the travelling fans, who chanted “Sack the board!” and later turned their anger on the players with cries of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt!”
West Ham’s Struggles Mount
Nuno’s decision to go strikerless backfired so badly that Callum Wilson was ordered to warm up midway through the first half. The veteran forward replaced Scarles, who was forced off injured after a collision — another blow to an already chaotic evening.
Even Jarrod Bowen, West Ham’s most reliable performer, looked isolated despite his best efforts. He came close with an acrobatic effort and later set up Tomas Soucek, who missed a golden chance to halve the deficit.
Lucas Paqueta briefly thought he had scored, but VAR ruled his effort offside after a lengthy check.
Leeds Back to Winning Ways
Leeds, desperate to respond after losing their 23-match home unbeaten streak to Tottenham, looked confident and composed throughout. Noah Okafor and Aaronson both came close to extending the lead, with Aaronson’s deflected strike crashing off the bar.
In stoppage time, Fernandes finally converted a smart pass from Bowen to make it 2–1, but Leeds held firm to claim a deserved win and end their three-game winless run.
For Nuno, the defeat piles more pressure on his shoulders — and serious questions are now being asked about whether he can turn West Ham’s season around.
