Massive fresh blow for Leeds United's struggling rivals West Ham presents huge new Whites chance
West Ham began the day seven points behind fifth-bottom Leeds United and four points adrift of safety.
A massive fresh blow for Leeds United’s struggling rivals West Ham in a Premier League first has presented a huge new Whites chance in the club’s quest for survival.
West Ham went into Saturday afternoon’s clash at rock-bottom Wolves having gone eight games with a victory, leaving the third-bottom Hammers four points behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest and seven points adrift of fifth-bottom Leeds.
Wolves began the game still seeking their first win of the Premier League season but finally hit lift-off with a 3-0 success that now offers Leeds a chance to kick ten points clear of the dropzone in Sunday’s hosting of Manchester United.
Fresh from Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United which represented just a third point of the season, Wolves got off to a flyer as Jhon Arias fired them into a fourth-minute lead.
Things then got even better for Rob Edwards’ side just after the half hour mark as they were awarded a penalty after a foul by Soungoutou Magassa and Hee-Chan Hwang stepped up to convert with just 31 minutes on the clock.
More Hammers misery then presented itself just ten minutes later as Mateus Mane put the Old Gold 3-0 up, a lead the hosts took into the break.
There were then no further goals after the interval as West Ham suffered a fifth defeat from their last nine games and most damaging yet.
The result provides Leeds a new opportunity to kick even further clear of both West Ham and also fourth-bottom Forest in Sunday’s lunchtime showdown against Manchester United at Elland Road.