Leeds and West Ham played a thrilling match on Wednesday evening, a common occurrence for Jesse Marsch and fans at Elland Road. Some good, some bad, but Leeds are undeniably entertaining. The West Ham game was no different.
Marsch’s men grabbed the early lead in the 28th minute of the match. Wilfried Gnonto scored his first ever Premier League goal. The 19-year-old phenom put a fierce finish passed Lukasz Fabianski and into the back of the net.
Leeds defense lets down Marsch against West Ham
In typical Leeds fashion, the Whites proved to be gracious hosts. West Ham scored the next two goals. The first coming from a penalty just before the halftime break and the second just a minute following the start of the second half. Lucas Paqueta leveled the scoreline from the spot, while Gianluca Scamacca gave the Hammers the lead with a clinical long-range shot.
Nevertheless, Leeds fought back to tie the game later in the half. Rodrigo wrapped his foot around the ball and put it into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. It was the Spaniard’s 10th Premier League goal of the current campaign.
Both teams had excellent chances to take all three points late in the match. Michail Antonio failed to reach a cross into the box for West Ham, while Fabianski made an unbelievable save in added time to keep out a Rodrigo header. The game eventually ended 2-2.
Entering the match at Elland Road, Leeds had failed to win any of their previous three Premier League fixtures. They do, however, typically find the back of the net. In fact, the Whites have now scored multiple goals in five of their last seven league games. While they haven’t had an issues scoring, Leeds have also allowed the fourth-most goals in England’s top flight.
Marsch says management is ‘stressful’
Marsch spoke on the stress involved with managing the team. “It’s stressful beyond belief,” said Marsch. “I try to enjoy the moments and try to be there for the team and what they need, but I hate the stress.”
“The enjoyment is in the people, the players and the relationships we have, the people in the staff and the extended staff. There’s nothing better than standing in the [technical area] before the [first] whistle – it’s right where you want to be. But it’s also awful.”
Marsch was also booked late in the West Ham game for dissent. The American may be on thin ice with club brass for lack of results, but he has made Leeds become one of the more interesting sides in the league.
PHOTO: IMAGO / PA Images
