The match verdict on Leeds United's display vs West Ham in tonight's Premier League game
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
22:11, 24 Oct 2025
Leeds United's Joe Rodon celebrates with Jayden Bogle (right) after scoring
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Leeds United's Joe Rodon celebrates with Jayden Bogle (right) after scoring(Image: PA)
Leeds United will be jumping for joy as the clocks skip forward this weekend after securing a vital 2-1 win against struggling West Ham United.
It was the response needed after last week's dismal 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Burnley, which left Leeds winless in three games. With a tough set of winter fixtures ahead, the Whites needed to see out October with three points - and they delivered.
Brenden Aaronson's early strike got the Elland Road rafters bouncing before the lofty Joe Rodon nodded in a corner the hosts inside 15 minutes to put Leeds in command.
Leeds invited pressure by sitting back towards the end and saw the Hammers get one back in the 90th minute through Matheus Fernandes - but it was too little too late.
Leeds got off to the perfect start through Aaronson, who slid home his first goal since March. In the third minute, the American had played the ball Jayden Bogle, who whipped in a cross onto the head of Noah Okafor.
His header forced Alphonse Areola to parry into the path of Aaronson, who found the net while Dominic Calvert-Lewin ensured he stayed out of the line of the goalkeeper to prevent VAR ruling it out.
Jarrod Bowen attempted to respond in the tenth minute with an acrobatic scissor kick inside the box. Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri couldn't catch the shot and had to punch the bouncing ball clear away from the attackers.
But the Hammers soon found themselves two down when Rodon powered home a header five minutes later. The Wales warrior got his first Premier League goal from a Sean Longstaff corner against Bournemouth last month and last night repeated the feat after losing marker Lucas Paqueta in the box.
West Ham were soon forced into an early change when Ollie Scarles went off with a concerning injury, holding an apparatus to his mouth as he left the field to be replaced by Callum Wilson 25 minutes in.
The chances continued to come for Leeds with Ao Tanaka shooting over and Aaronson fluffing a cut-back but West Ham gave the hosts a scare on 35 minutes when Paqueta fired in off the bar following a deflected shot.
The assistant referee eventually raised his flag and lengthy VAR check ensued, with officials looking at the midfielder's position nd whether the initial duel came last off Bogle - but the decision to disallow the goal stood.
Leeds lost a player themselves just before half time when Gabriel Gudmundsson had to be replaced by James Justin after falling awkwardly on Premier League debutant Jaka Bijol's boot.
After a tepid start to the second half, Aaronson sparked Leeds into life with a driving central run which saw his deflected shot deflect onto the bar on 59 minutes.
Two goals up, Leeds notably became more reserved and rigid after the hour mark. West Ham saw more of the ball but rarely created a clear opening.
Substitute Matheus Fernandes flicked a header home to give hope bang on 90 minutes but the visitors would be left licking their wounds with it clear Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo needs that extra hour this weekend to brainstorm a revival plan.
LEEDS (4-3-3): Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Gudmundsson (Justin 44); Tanaka (Gruev 71), Ampadu, Longstaff; Aaronson (James 86), Calvert-Lewin (Nmecha 86), Okafor (Harrison 46).
WEST HAM (3-4-3): Areola; Todibo, Kilman, Scarles (Wilson 25); Wan-Bissaka, Soucek (Fernandes 65), Irving (Potts 65), Diouf; Bowen, Paqueta, Summerville (Magassa 78).
REFEREE: Stuart Attwell
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MAN OF THE MATCH: Brenden Aaronson
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