Leeds, Oct 25 (NationPress) Leeds United bounced back to winning form in the Premier League with a determined 2-1 triumph over West Ham United at Elland Road on Friday, thanks to early goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon.

This victory marked Leeds’ third win of the season, propelling them to 13th position in the standings, while West Ham found themselves second from the bottom following another disappointing performance under new coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who is still on the lookout for his first win since taking the helm.

Leeds started the match with the ideal approach, exploiting the visitors’ defensive lapses at set pieces to claim an early lead within the first 15 minutes. In the third minute, Aaronson capitalized on a goalmouth scramble, slotting the ball past Alphonse Areola, who had initially parried the first shot.

West Ham almost equalized through Jarrod Bowen, whose stunning bicycle kick in the 10th minute was expertly denied by Lucas Perri. However, the home team extended their lead five minutes later when Rodon soared to head in from Sean Longstaff’s corner, sending the Elland Road crowd into a frenzy with a 2-0 scoreline.

The Hammers struggled to gain momentum in the first half. Lucas Paqueta thought he had scored in the 34th minute, but VAR ruled his goal offside. To shift the tide, Callum Wilson was brought on early, but Leeds continued to pose a threat, with Aaronson hitting the crossbar at the start of the second half and Jack Harrison forcing a superb save from Areola.

West Ham finally managed a late consolation goal in stoppage time when Mateus Fernandes headed in Bowen’s curling cross into the far corner. However, with just four minutes added, it was too little, too late.

This result ended a four-match winless streak for Leeds, while West Ham’s struggles persisted, marking their worst start to a season since 1973-74, when they recorded the same results after nine matches.