West Ham v Leeds: Premier League – live!

5.04pm EST 17:04

Thanks for reading and for your emails and tweets. Nick Ames’s report from the London Stadium has landed, please enjoy.

Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson strike against Leeds to send West Ham fifth

You can also read about Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton. Two big results in the race for the top four.

Jorginho and Kai Havertz on song as Chelsea outclass top-four rivals Everton

Until next time, bye!

4.56pm EST 16:56

“Leeds played excellently tonight,” emails Giancarlo M. Sandoval. “They’ve definitely been one of the teams that are making this season brighter. Passing, pace, never stop running. Even when they lose, they are fun. Nonetheless, good job from West Ham tonight! But points aren’t everything.”

That’s true, and especially so for a team that isn’t going to qualify for Europe or be relegated. Fifteen attempts in the second half alone though! Patrick Bamford was particularly culpable, he had a couple of glorious chances to score.

Leeds played well but are far too soft from set-pieces. There was a period at the end of the first half where it looked like they were going to concede every time the ball came into the box.

4.53pm EST 16:53

90+3 min: This has been an excellent West Ham performance. All hail the Moyesiah.

4.52pm EST 16:52

90 min: Phillips does brilliantly to beat Fornals to the ball in midfield before trying his luck from 35 yards. Not a chance, as it trickles 10 yards wide. Wonder if Fabianski fancied one of these …

The Second Tier (@secondtierpod)

Oh look it’s Dean Henderson again.

He gets 10/10 for the pure sarcasm of it.pic.twitter.com/bmlyNyUJwC

March 5, 2021

4.49pm EST 16:49

88 min: Johnson finally does come on for Lingard, who has looked a little weary of late, but has again been impressive, winning and scoring (from) the penalty.

4.48pm EST 16:48

86 min: Dawson clears off the line! Dallas plays a lovely floated ball out to Raphinha, who crosses low first time between the onrushing attackers and Fabianski. The ball rolls all the way through towards the back post, where it hits Coufal unknowingly, rolls towards the line before Dawson clears, with inches to spare! It remains 2-0!

4.46pm EST 16:46

84 min: Ben Johnson, nephew of Paul Parker, has been threatening to come on for West Ham for about five minutes but seems to be stuck in the huge mauve hinterland between dugout and pitch and seems a bit lost.

4.43pm EST 16:43

82 min: Leeds are pushing for a goal, but it looks like their race is run. West Ham keeping their shape nicely, for now.

Updated at 4.43pm EST

4.40pm EST 16:40

79 min: Bielsa’s face right now. Ha.

Marcelo Bielsa not looking too happy. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 4.44pm EST

4.40pm EST 16:40

77 min: Another golden chance for Bamford! This one is an absolute sitter. Raphinha finds some space on the right hand side of the box, cuts the ball back to Bamford on the six-yard box, but the striker skews his shot waaaaaaay over the bar with his weaker right foot. Ouch. That’s two wonderful chances for Bamford tonight, missed.

Bamford skies a great chance. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Eddie Keogh NMC Pool

Updated at 4.43pm EST

4.38pm EST 16:38

75 min: Llorente, who does an excellent impersonation of Bamford back there with that haircut, makes a clumsy challenge on Soucek, who has been a bit in the wars tonight. Lingard, Cresswell and Rice all want to take it but it’s the captain who pulls rank before lashing an effort from 22 yards well wide.

4.35pm EST 16:35

72 min: West Ham make their first change of the night and it’s pretty much a straight swap: Bowen for Benrahma, who has been lively.

4.34pm EST 16:34

70 min: Here comes one of those fast West Ham breaks, with Lingard carrying the ball out on the right. It is actually four on three at the back but Lingard’s long pass towards Antonio is intercepted by Cooper and the ball breaks kindly to Meslier. A let-off there. But then again, Leeds have to go for it now.

4.33pm EST 16:33

68 min: Leeds are starting to throw men forward, so there is room for West Ham on the counter-attack.

4.32pm EST 16:32

66 min: An email from Dave Harris.

“The last Monday night game between these two at West Ham was almost 23 years ago, 3-0 to the Irons, and a raucous, if slightly nervy, trip back north for this then Leeds-based Hammer. It was also when the Leeds plane crashed on landing; by all accounts, David O’Leary was an absolute hero, making sure the plane was empty before he left himself. Here’s hoping for a similar result for tonight’s game, and that Leeds have a safe trip back.”

O’Leary was indeed a hero. You can read all about the near-miss here, but here what what the then assistant manager had to say.

“We were going down the runway,” Mr O’Leary explained. “As we lifted off, a fire started in the engine and then there was an explosion. At that stage we had reached about 200 feet and suddenly flame started to shoot out of the right engine. The plane was like a roller coaster. It went up, then down and hit the deck.”

Of his own role in the emergency, Mr O’Leary was modest. “There was smoke and a strong smell of fuel when we stopped and I opened the emergency door. The pilot did a brilliant job. He had to take a very quick decision and he made exactly the right choice. We were very, very lucky and thank God everyone got out OK.”

However, the chairman of Leeds United, Mr Peter Risdale, praised Mr O’Leary for his quick reactions. “David O’Leary was in the opposite seat to me by an emergency exit. David opened it very, very quickly and started getting everybody out. David was superb,” he said.

4.28pm EST 16:28

64 min: Chance for Leeds! Good work by Alioski down the left, he cuts the ball back to Raphinha on the penalty spot, but the Brazilian’s powerful drive is tipped over by Fabianski! It was a good height for the West Ham keeper but the shot was so powerful, he did well just to get anything on it.

4.26pm EST 16:26

Two penalty shout for West Ham!

63 min: Leeds defend the free-kick at the expense of a corner, no Premier League team has conceded more from set pieces this season. The ball breaks to Rice on the penalty spot, he swings a boot but Cooper blocks. It does touch the defender’s elbow but it was tight to his body and would have been very harsh. Again the ball breaks to Rice who shoots again! The ball is deflected this time before hitting Phillips! Ooooooo. The ball was probably going in if it didn’t hit the arm of Phillips, who admittedly didn’t know anything about it. But you’ve seen them given. The fact that it was deflected onto Phillips’s arm has probably saved him.

4.23pm EST 16:23

62 min: The game is becoming bitty, which suits West Ham. Phillips, who is already on a yellow card, brings down Benrahma. Good position for Cresswell to swing this one in.

4.21pm EST 16:21

60 min: Leeds make their final change on the hour mark: Rodrigo for Roberts.

4.19pm EST 16:19

58 min: Two strong challenges by Cooper on Lingard, then Soucek. A foul is given for the second one, although I struggle to see why. Strong but fair.

4.15pm EST 16:15

55 min: In all that excitement, I forgot to tell you about a yellow card for Phillips, who went in high on Fornals, even if he did win the ball.

4.15pm EST 16:15

53 min: Fornals hits the bar from a full 30 yards out! Oooooof, so nearly a magnificent goal! From yet another West Ham corner, which is well defended by Raphinha at the near post, the ball bounds out to Fornals, who takes a touch and laces a dipping shot over Meslier and onto the bar! What a game we have here!

Pablo Fornals’ shot crashes of the woodwork. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 4.16pm EST

4.12pm EST 16:12

51 min: Great save by Fabianski! Raphinha goes for the acrobatic bicycle kick, the shot deflects off Diop and Fabianski just about scrambles to tip the ball over!

Raphinha goes for the spectacular. Photograph: Ian Walton/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 4.15pm EST

4.11pm EST 16:11

50 min: Looks like Dallas has moved into midfield, with Alioski slotting into left back.

4.10pm EST 16:10

48 min: Leeds so nearly get one back! Their best chance of the game! A beautiful slide-rule pass from centre-back Llorente is put right into the stride of Bamford, who has time to look up before a first-time strike with his favoured left foot … wide! Ooooo, and that’s a bad miss. A yard wide of the far post!

4.07pm EST 16:07

Two changes by a presumably furious Bielsa at half-time: Harrison and Alioski come on for Helder Costa and Klich, who were both anonymous after the first five minutes.

West Ham are unchanged.

3.51pm EST 15:51

Half-time: West Ham 2-0 Leeds

Leeds were excellent in the first 20 minutes but have withered badly since conceding that penalty. West Ham could easily be three up, but will have to settle for two.

3.50pm EST 15:50

45+1 min: From the corner, Dawson hits the post! So close to his second goal of the night! Cresswell this time with the outswinger, as Dawson fights his way through a crowd of bodies and glances a stooping header onto the far post. The ball rebounds to Roberts, who does well to clear. Leeds look unable to live with Dawson and co from set pieces at the moment!

3.48pm EST 15:48

45 min: Two minutes added on here. West Ham have yet ANOTHER corner.

3.47pm EST 15:47

43 min: Meslier comes and claims, the ball just over the top of the head of Soucek, who actually collides with the post on the follow through of his run. It’s a nasty sound with the post, but looks like he’s OK.

3.46pm EST 15:46

42 min: Benrahma tricks his way past Ayling and drives right through the heart of Leeds’ midfield, carrying the ball a good 30 yards before releasing Fornals, who sees his cross blocked for the corner.