Leeds United defeated West Ham United 2-1 at Elland Road, with goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon securing the win despite a late consolation from West Ham. The result extends West Ham's poor start under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who remains winless in nine games. Aaronson's early strike marked his first Premier League goal in over three years.
Leeds United took the lead just three minutes into the match when Brenden Aaronson tapped in the rebound after Alphonse Areola saved an initial effort. Centre-back Joe Rodon added a second goal in the 15th minute, giving Leeds a 2-0 advantage at Elland Road, where over 36,000 fans were in attendance.
West Ham improved in the second half, showing more creativity after substitutions including Matheus Fernandes and Freddie Potts for Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving around the 65th minute. They pulled one back in the 89th minute when Jarrod Bowen chipped the ball for Fernandes to head in a consolation goal. A late goal from Lucas Paqueta was ruled out by VAR earlier in the match.
Aaronson nearly scored a second after a stunning run from his own half, but his shot deflected off Max Kilman and hit the crossbar. The 25-year-old USMNT international, who has 54 caps and 11 goals for the national team, expressed satisfaction post-match: “I’ve been working really hard at (finishing) after training... I did that and I’m proud of myself.”
Leeds manager Daniel Farke called the three points 'priceless' after a tough week with injuries. For West Ham, the defeat leaves them with four points from nine games, their joint-worst return at this stage. Nuno Espírito Santo said: “We didn’t deal with the problems... We have to work hard and be much better.” Jarrod Bowen added: “We’re not playing well and not getting results. We need to change it.”
The win boosts Leeds' momentum following promotion from the Championship, where Aaronson scored nine goals in 46 appearances last season.