More misery was poured on West Ham’s season as the Hammers were beaten for a seventh time this season by Leeds United.
Nuno Espirito Santo watched on as his side were defeated 2-1 at Elland Road, and they fell two-down inside 15 minutes in Yorkshire.
Brendan Aaronsen, the American international, got the east Londoners off to the worst possible start as he bundled home the opener on three minutes, after Noah Okafor had towered above Ollie Scarles at the far post. His header was parried by Alphonse Areola, before Aaronsen was Johnny-on-the-spot to tap home the rebound, springing in ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Joe Rodon rose highest to power home the second on the quarter-hour, evading his marker Lucas Paqueta to steer a header inside the far post as West Ham’s defence evaporated from the corner.
Nuno again selected two full-backs on their unnatural sides here, with left-back Scarles fielded on the right, and right-back Wan-Bissaka deployed on the left.
That experiment was swiftly binned when Scarles needed to be withdrawn injured on 25 minutes, with the Hammers’ only recognised senior striker, Callum Wilson, replacing him.
New manager Nuno also decided against fielding a centre-forward, with first-choice striker Niclas Fullkrug sidelined with injury, and summer signing Wilson forced to settle for a place on the bench.
Paqueta and Bowen started up top together in a 4-4-2, but Wilson replaced Scarles as the Portuguese head coach was forced to shuffle his pack.
Matheus Fernandes stepped off the bench to set up a grandstand finish late on, with his flicked header ruining Lucas Perri’s clean sheet at the death, but Leeds clung on for an important three points that takes them up to 13th in the table, seven points clear of their opponents, who languish in the relegation zone.
