SAM THE SHAM
West Ham 3 Leeds United 1
The vision of the then West Ham manager Sam Allardyce laughing on the touchline at Swansea defender Chico Flores’ staged histrionics, is something that will stay with Hammers’ fans forever. Whether, nine years on, Allardyce will manipulate his funny bone again to the same extent at London Stadium remains to be seen. The perennial relegation ducker has taken on the short term potential money spin of saving Leeds United from the Championship after two seasons back in the top flight. He has two games remaining of the four he faced on appointment, having since secured a home point against Champions League contenders Newcastle and a narrow 2-1 defeat at Manchester City. Realistically he will need at least a point today and victory over Tottenham at home next Sunday. The only thing standing in his way appears to be a decision to refer to himself in press conferences as ‘we’. Quite whether this is indicative of royal pretensions or simply an ambitious over-keenness to identify himself with the club is not yet clear. After this afternoon’s game we will have a better perspective.
And it starts so well for Leeds, who clearly have to win this afternoon’s game at a canter as well as hope that the Evertons, the Southamptons and the Leicesters all fall foul of their opposition in the next ninety minutes.Jack Harrison goes close early on with a well timed volley from a right wing cross that Fabianski smothers. Then, just 17 minutes in, a ballooning long throw on from the left from Weston McKennie is headed into the path of Roderigo, who volleys the ball high into the net. Big Sam gets up out of his seat like a wobbly pensioner grabbing a cheap film ticket out of the hands of the cinema usher on a Tuesday lunchtime.
Declan Rice has been once again elected Hammer of the Year by the supporters club, and receives his award before the game, possibly his last at home for the club before he joins Arsenal or Manchester City. He improves his day somewhat by arriving timely at the far post to volley in Bowen’s cross that evades half of the players on the pitch before reaching his trusty right foot. There is still enough time for Patrick Bamford to get his customary injury whenever starting a game, and he hobbles off in disappointment just after the half hour. Both sides retire to the dressing room at half time, with Hammers almost certainly the more grateful to still be in the game.
The second half sees Leeds shunted out of the picture whilst West Ham employ attack as the best form of defence, and Bowen escapes the momentary challenge of VAR to slip the ball past Menier into the corner of the net to finally put Hammers into the lead with 20 minutes to go. Although Leeds test Fabianski with a couple of breakaway opportunities, a late darting run from Paquetá sets up an injury time opportunity for Manuel Lanzini, who slots home to guarantee three points for the Hammers, forty points for the campaign, and to sentence Leeds to a nervous final Sunday of the season for the second year in succession. Could two of today’s home scorers possibly be seeing the inside of this ground as West Ham players for the final time?
1 Lucas’s Fabianski, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 23 Thilo Kehrer, 27 Nayef Aguerd, 41 Declan Rice (captain), 11 Lucas Paquetá, 22 Saïd Benrahma, 8 Pablo Fornals, 9 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 18 Danny Ings, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 10 Manuel Lanzini, 14 Maxwell Cornet
Goalscorers: Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini
