West Ham 2-3 Leeds United: Jack Harrison hits hat-trick in major blow to Hammers’ top-four hopes

AP
Marc Mayo16 January 2022

West Ham suffered a major blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four of the Premier League after a Jack Harrison hat-trick earned Leeds a 3-2 win at London Stadium on Sunday.

Leeds started the better team and were rewarded with the breakthrough after ten minutes, Harrison firing home across Lukasz Fabianski after the Pole had pulled off a smart save.

West Ham finally woke up and should have levelled up through Craig Dawson, but the defender stuck his header from a fantastic Aaron Cresswell corner wide.

Unperturbed, Cresswell delivered another beauty from the left that found Jarrod Bowen for a fourth goal in three games from the winger.

And yet the Hammers squandered their hard work with a set-play leading to Harrison’s second. Luke Ayling flicked on Raphinha’s corner and the unmarked Harrison enjoyed the simplest of finishes at the far-post.

Dan James wasted a huge chance to double Leeds’ advantage before the break and Leeds were made to rue that moment, plus some pretty average defending, as Pablo Fornals made it 2-2 early in the second period.

Once again however, Leeds delivered an instant riposte when they looked most down-and-out. Raphinha played in Harrison for a delightful chip over Fabianski that sealed his first Premier League hat-trick.

Raphinha then smacked the post with a powerful free-kick and Mateusz Klich saw Leeds’ fourth disallowed by VAR, after his finish on the counter inadvertently hit the offside Rodrigo on the line.

West Ham still could have snatched a point but Bowen went with his chest when meeting Michail Antonio’s 94th-minute cross, and sent his effort over the bar from five yards out.