West Ham were relegated from the Premier League despite beating Leeds United 3-0 on the final day. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed a victory and Tottenham to be beaten by Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in order to survive, but the Toffees were defeated 1-0 in north London.
The Hammers occupied 18th place going into the last game of the campaign, and goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson ultimately went in vain as they were demoted to the second tier for the first time since 2011. The east Londoners will be back in the Championship after 15 years away, to cap a miserable season where they continued to underwhelm.
They were left to sit and wait for Spurs’ game to finish after a long delay just miles away thanks to technical difficulties with the officials’ communication system. Finally, the Irons were put out of their misery, and their relegation was confirmed.
West Ham vs Leeds latest updates
- GOAL! Wilson flashes in third
- GOAL! Bowen fires in second
- GOAL! Castellanos opens scoring
- GOOD SAVE! Hermansen stops Calvert-Lewin
- How to watch: Sky Sports
Where do West Ham go next?
18:50 , Oli Gent
On a surreal day that confirmed their relegation to the Championship, West Ham had goalscoring fun in the sun at the London Stadium and were still left distraught, as every last bubble finally burst, Dom Smith writes.
Theirs is a relegation grimly foretold, one that plenty of supporters feared was inevitable, following years of the club being run on the cheap with short-termist signings centred around getting by, not thriving.
FT: West Ham 3-0 Leeds
17:58 , Oli Gent
That’s it.
The Hammers have won - that’s what they needed to do - but it’s not looking good at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
West Ham are down.
Goal! West Ham 3-0 Leeds
17:56 , Oli Gent
90+4 mins: That is some strike from Callum Wilson as the corner is worked short and out to the edge of the area, and he fires one in with some venom.
West Ham 2-0 Leeds
17:53 , Oli Gent
90 mins: Four added minutes as Bornauw comes on for Aaronson.
West Ham 2-0 Leeds
17:50 , Oli Gent
88 mins: Castellanos is replaced by Kante late on.
West Ham 2-0 Leeds
17:47 , Oli Gent
85 mins: Five minutes plus stoppage time. But the clock is ticking down on West Ham’s Premier League tenure.
Goal! West Ham 2-0 Leeds
17:42 , Oli Gent
80 mins: It’s two, and that is quite brilliant from Bowen! He speeds down the right after a lovely pick-out from Fernandes. He breaks into the box and flashes one through Darlow into the far corner!
West Ham 1-0 Leeds
17:40 , Oli Gent
79 mins: Two more changes for Leeds as Buonanotte and Piroe come on for Bogle and Tanaka.
West Ham 1-0 Leeds
17:38 , Oli Gent
76 mins: Just under 15 minutes to play. The Hammers are doing all they can. Can Everton do them a favour?
West Ham 1-0 Leeds
17:32 , Oli Gent
71 mins: Two changes for Leeds. Calvert-Lewin and Bijol replaced by Gnonto and James.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
17:31 , Oli Gent
70 mins: West Ham with lift-off and there's an absolute thwack of a spare football by the side of the pitch from Castellanos as he wheels away in celebration of a potentially monumental goal for West Ham. That Spurs game still needs a complete turnaround if the Hammers are to survive, but all they can do is win.
Goal! West Ham 1-0 Leeds
17:29 , Oli Gent
67 mins: It’s there, and Castellanos rises highest! The No11 makes strong contact at the far post, and West Ham are ahead.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:29 , Oli Gent
66 mins: Corner, West Ham. Bowen lines this one up ...
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
17:25 , Oli Gent
63 mins: There's a such a flatness at this break in play as West Ham fans, fully aware of the score in the Spurs game, gradually come to terms with the way this afternoon appears to be heading.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:23 , Oli Gent
60 mins: A clash of heads between Ampadu and Summerville has both down needing treatment.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:18 , Oli Gent
56 mins: A real chance wasted for the Hammers as Castellanos darts clear, but overhits his pass to Summerville. He then gets crowded out.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:15 , Oli Gent
53 mins: Pinball in the box as Summerville drives into the ara and gets the shot away. It’s deflected, and ricochets into the path of Castellanos, who shoots into the stands.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:13 , Oli Gent
51 mins: Aaronsen strikes into the wall, has a second bite, which he shanks wide.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:12 , Oli Gent
50 mins: A silly challenge from Mavropanos and Leeds have a chance on the edge of the box with a free kick. Aaronsen is lining this one up.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
17:10 , Oli Gent
47 mins: What a chance! West Ham so close to an opener as Castellanos fluffs his lines! Wilson goes through and it then falls for the hosts’ No11, but he can’t get his shot away!
Kick off!
17:07 , Oli Gent
46 mins: Back underway as Callum Wilson replaces Pablo.
HT: West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:49 , Oli Gent
There’s the interval.
The scores aren’t good reading for the Hammers. They need to win and Spurs to lose, but their London rivals are ahead against Everton...
What will the second half have in store?
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:47 , Oli Gent
45 mins: Two added minutes.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:45 , Oli Gent
44 mins: There’s been a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium... but for who?
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:44 , Oli Gent
43 mins: Close! Pablo whips one in for Castellanos, who nods over the top.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:42 , Oli Gent
40 mins: Free kick, West Ham. Pablo is fouled on the right, giving the hosts another chance to swing a ball into the box.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:37 , Oli Gent
36 mins: Great save! West Ham are living dangerously as Nmecha weaves between challenges and dances into the box. He squares for Calvert-Lewin, who is thwarted by Hermansen!
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
16:31 , Oli Gent
32 mins: Leeds enjoying a prolonged period of possession and just starting to grow into this game. West Ham need to ensure their decision-making is better when they reach promising areas.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:31 , Oli Gent
30 mins: A scrappy affair in this opening half-hour. No real clear-cut chances in a game where one side really, really needs a goal.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:26 , Oli Gent
26 mins: Hermansen sets Diouf away quickly, and Aaronsen chasing back upends him, earning a booking.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:26 , Oli Gent
25 mins: A corner for Leeds which Tanaka prepares to take. He swings it in right-footed from the left, but Mavropanos gets it clear.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:24 , Oli Gent
22 mins: Sloppy from Darlow as he looks to clip a pass out to Justin but kicks at Castellanos, and the hosts have the ball back. Fernandes has a crack from range which Darlow beats away.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:20 , Oli Gent
19 mins: A more settled period of possession for the visitors as they just quieten the volume of the home support down a tad. Plenty of trepidation amongst those West Ham fans...
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:16 , Oli Gent
16 mins: It’s all West Ham now in these early exchanges after that initial scare. The home fans are really trying to suck the ball into Karl Darlow’s net.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
16:14 , Oli Gent
14 mins: "Stand up if you're staying up" is the chant from the Leeds fans. The West Ham fans immediately do so, and join in. Fair play.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:12 , Oli Gent
12 mins: The first booking of the game as Bijol crunches into a late challenge on Castellanos.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
16:09 , Oli Gent
11 mins: Big chance for Leeds, that. The noisy atmosphere would have been cut dead if that had gone in. West Ham just finding their feet early on.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:09 , Oli Gent
10 mins: Close! A dangerous foray forward from Leeds as Bogle gets it across, and it comes all the way out to Justin at the far post. He scuffs his shot, and Nmecha can’t sort his feet out to divert it goalwards.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:07 , Oli Gent
7 mins: Pablo - who was unwell during the warm-up - goes marauding down the left. He cuts back onto his right and looks to cross, but he overcooks his delivery.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:05 , Oli Gent
4 mins: More defending for the hosts to do early on as Leeds have a free kick wide right that Tanaka delivers, but Soucek clears. Ampadu tries again with a long throw, but the referee spots a foul in the box.
West Ham 0-0 Leeds
16:03 , Oli Gent
2 mins: An early scare as Bogle pokes a ball right through the centre of the home defence, which Aaronsen latches onto. The American is felled on the edge of the area by Soucek, but there’s no foul given.
Kick off!
16:01 , Oli Gent
1 min: We’re underway.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
15:56 , Oli Gent
Plenty of support here. West Ham fans in fine voice, dreaming of a final-day miracle to escape the drop.
Five minute warning
15:55 , Oli Gent
The players are on their way out, and we’re about to get underway.
Ten minutes to kick off
15:50 , Oli Gent
Can West Ham pull it out of the bag?
Will the Spurs result go their way?
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
15:45 , Oli Gent
🗣️"An almighty shock - devastating - if West Ham go down."@MrDomSmith gives his pre-match thoughts from the London Stadium.
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 24, 2026
LIVE: https://t.co/qpp4WDaOfk #WHULEE pic.twitter.com/1aANGmOQyr
More from Carragher
15:42 , Oli Gent
"If Tottenham go down that will be the biggest relegation in history." @Carra23 shares his thoughts ahead of the the final day relegation battle between West Ham and Spurs 👀📊 pic.twitter.com/9oeTaORIrd
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026
Carragher's thoughts on relegation battle
15:30 , Oli Gent
"I think there'll be more fear at Tottenham than here today" @Carra23 on the relegation battle between Spurs and West Ham 👊 pic.twitter.com/X7kuq0WZIp
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026
Fan reaction
15:25 , Oli Gent
absolutely our best lineup, why did we not do this the last few weeks
— Hammeur ⚒️⚒️ (@Ironnnsss) May 24, 2026
Fan reaction
15:18 , Oli Gent
Good to see KWP we’ll need him next season
— chris (@whuchr) May 24, 2026
Dom Smith reports
15:12 , Oli Gent
The importance of victory here at the London Stadium is clear just by taking a look at the West Ham team sheet. Summerville, Bowen, Castellanos, Fernandes and Pablo all start for Nuno’s side. They'll get the full backing of the Hammers fanbase all afternoon - that much is guaranteed.
Fan reaction
15:10 , Oli Gent
Should be starting Wilson over Pablo. We need a goal asap to have a prayer & Pablo ain't getting it & Adama Traore has to be the most pointless signing of all time. Barely used & now injured. Complete wasted of time & money.
— Kwame Boakye (@KwameDBoakye) May 24, 2026
Team analysis
15:05 , Oli Gent
For Daniel Farke’s visitors, it’s a 3-5-2 that could see them look to shut up shop amid their anticipation of a West Ham barrage off the bat.
James Justin will be at left wing-back with Jaka Bijol in as the auxiliary centre-back, while captain Ethan Ampadu is flanked by Ao Tanaka and the more creative Brendan Aaronsen in the middle of the park.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha both offer height when defending set pieces, as well as two sticking points when clearing long.
Team analysis
14:57 , Oli Gent
For the Irons, it’s about as attacking as Nuno can get.
Walker-Peters and Diouf will be the flying full-backs looking to get crosses in, and he’s got Pablo as the shadow striker behind Taty Castellanos.
Inside forwards Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen will be cutting in and looking to get shots off, while Mateus Fernandes will be orchestrating from the engine room, allowing Tomas Soucek the licence to box crash late.
Leeds lineup
14:50 , Oli Gent
Leeds XI: Darlow; Bogle, Justin, Rodon, Struijk, Bijol; Ampadu, Tanaka, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha
Subs: Perri, Byram, Bornauw, Cresswell, Chadwick, Buonanotte, James, Piroe, Gnonto
West Ham lineup
14:46 , Oli Gent
West Ham XI: Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Soucek, Fernandes, Summerville, Pablo, Bowen; Castellanos
Subs: Areola, Kilman, Wilson, Lamadrid, Magassa, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Potts, Kante
Match odds
14:42 , Oli Gent
West Ham to win: 5/6
Leeds to win: 11/4
Draw: 3/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Head to head
14:37 , Oli Gent
Historically Leeds hold the edge over West Ham in this fixture, which was first contested in 1921. Leeds have won twice in four visits to the London Stadium.
West Ham wins: 32
Leeds wins: 51
Draws: 30
Standard Sport prediction
14:30 , Oli Gent
Although many would expect Leeds to be on the beach following their early survival, Daniel Farke is a hard taskmaster. Leeds put a dent in Brighton’s hopes of European football with a 1-0 victory over the Seagulls in their last home game of the season. Do not expect Leeds to roll over.
The two sides have already met twice this season. Leeds looked like they were cruising to victory over the Hammers back in October in one of Nuno Espirito Santo’s first games in charge of West Ham. 2-0 up after 14 minutes, Leeds slowly lost control of the game. However, West Ham were unable to capitalise, Mateus Fernandes’ 89th minute strike only proving scant consolation for the away side.
In March the two sides met at the London Stadium with a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals up for grabs. Leeds eventually came out on top in a topsy-turvy game - Leeds again led by two goals, only for a West Ham comeback to force extra time.
Leeds regained composure to advance via penalties, but both previous meetings this season suggest that this one will produce goals. Even if West Ham find themselves behind, expect a fight to the end.
Hammers have proven they can score against Leeds, who will be required to scrap with a West Ham side fighting for their lives.
Draw, 2-2.
Leeds team news
14:23 , Oli Gent
Leeds, themselves, are looking quite threadbare, and have been for a few weeks. Starting left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson has missed the last three fixtures due to a thigh issue.
Noah Okafor has missed the last two with a calf strain, while Anton Stach was stretched off last time out against Brighton with an ankle issue and is is not expected to be involved.
West Ham team news
14:15 , Oli Gent
West Ham will definitely be without veteran goalie Lukasz Fabianski, with a back injury that ended his season way back in September.
Adama Traore missed West Ham’s controversial loss to Arsenal and the defeat to Newcastle last time out, but he may return for the final day clash against Leeds.
Nuno will surely ditch the back three formation right from the start as his side have to go for the win.
How to watch
14:07 , Oli Gent
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Football. Coverage starts at 3:50pm BST.
All 10 Premier League games on the final day will be available on Sky Sports.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Hello and welcome!
13:57 , Oli Gent
... to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of West Ham’s must-win encounter against Leeds on the last day of the Premier League season.
The Hammers need a victory to have any chance of staying up, and they’ll have eyes on what happens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium too.
Stay tuned for all the updates, with kick off at 4pm BST.
