LEEDS............ 1 WEST HAM ... 2
Ogbonna’s header condemns Leeds to defeat
THERE were new floodlights at Elland Road but the shine has worn off Leeds United on their own patch this season. It is now five games without a win here for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and they were deservedly beaten by West Ham, who climbed to fifth in the table thanks to Angelo Ogbonna’s 80th-minute winner.
Leeds were fortunate to still be level at that point and even their goal owed much to the vagaries of VAR. Mateusz Klich gave them an early lead from the penalty spot but only after a retake when Lukasz Fabianski was adjudged to have moved from his line. It was terribly harsh. But West Ham recovered to claim a fourth victory in five and centre back Ogbonna was the match-winner when he rose to flash the ball home from Aaron Cresswell’s wicked free-kick.
For Leeds, this was another below-par showing. Last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Chelsea was the first time they have looked like a newly-promoted team. They were way off it for the bulk of a onesided contest at Stamford Bridge, albeit against fine opponents.
West Ham are not as good as Chelsea but they were equally superior for the majority of last night’s game.
The Londoners could not contest the award of the fourthminute penalty, though. Patrick Bamford was toppled by the sliding Fabianski after he had been sprung clear by Liam Cooper, the Leeds skipper having first robbed a careless Sebastien Haller.
Fabianski was booked and no more as his attempt to win the ball was genuine. Again, the correct decision.
Klich stepped up and, so weak was his effort that Fabianski need not have stolen the half an inch he did. The keeper flopped to his right and saved with absolute comfort from his Poland teammate. But things were about to get very uncomfortable.
Replays showed Fabianski to be marginally off his line at the point of Klich’s contact. After a delay of more than a minute — that in itself should tell you it was not obvious — Michael Oliver was instructed to order a retake.
As Sportsmail columnist Mark Clattenburg remarked: ‘Wow! The PGMOL are taking this law to the smallest of margins. They are making it impossible for goalkeepers.’
The giant screen showed a freezeframe of the infringement before the retake. West Ham were furious and understandably so.
Fabianski barely moved second time around — that would have pleased Stockley Park — and Klich duly rolled the ball into the bottom corner. It begs the question - what next for goalkeepers? A starting position behind their line? It seems the only logical tactic to avoid the nonsense of such decisions.
The injustice, however, at least served as motivation for the visitors and they were deservedly level on 25 minutes. Jarrod Bowen swung over a corner from the right and Tomas Soucek outjumped Stuart Dallas to connect.
For reasons known only to goalkeeper Illan Meslier, he reacted as if Soucek had thrown a brick at him, not headed a football. And so the young Frenchman flapped ineffectively at the expense of an equaliser.
Leeds should have been back in front before the break but Rodrigo’s finish lacked the wit of his cunning approach and, despite having only Fabianski to beat, he fired straight into the grateful keeper’s gloves. Bielsa was furious. He was not best pleased by the manner in which Leeds started the second half, either. He had withdrawn both of his left-sided players in an attempt to deal with the excellent Bowen.
But within a few minutes of the restart Bowen crossed for Haller and only the boot of defender Luke Ayling denied the striker when his shot was deflected over.
From the corner, Haller again caused panic and his header was tipped to safety by a backpedalling Meslier.
Bowen came close on 73 minutes when dropping a cute curler narrowly wide and Pablo Fornals slid the ball the wrong side of the same post when free moments later.
Meslier then saved from Fabian Balbuena’s point-blank header but there was nothing he could do when Ogbonna towered unopposed to win the match.
LEEDS (4-1-4-1): Meslier 4.5; Dallas 5.5, Ayling 6, Cooper 6.5, Alioski 5.5 (Shackleton 46min, 5.5); Phillips 6.5; Raphinha 6, Rodrigo 6, Klich 6, Harrison 5.5 (Costa 46, 6); Bamford 6 (Roberts 74). Subs not used: Poveda, Casilla, Hernandez, Struijk. Scorer: Klich 6 (pen). Booked: Alioski. Manager: Marcelo Bielsa 6. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6.5; Coufal 6, Balbuena 6, Ogbonna 5.5, Cresswell 6; Rice 6, Soucek 7; BOWEN 7.5 (Johnson 85), Benrahma 6.5 (Noble 84), Fornals 6 (Snodgrass 90+5); Haller 6.5. Subs not used: Lanzini, Dawson, Fredericks, Randolph. Scorers: Soucek 25, Ogbonna 80. Booked: Fabianski, Noble. Manager: David Moyes 6. Referee: Michael Oliver 5. Attendance: 2,000.