File photo of West Ham United vs Leeds United EPL match
Jack Harrison scored a hat-trick as he crossed Leeds’ long list to beat West Ham 3-2 in the Premier League on Sunday.
West Ham made two comebacks through Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals, but Harrison’s third goal ended the London club’s four-match winning streak.
Leeds traveled to West Ham without nine first-team players – and two others were injured before halftime – and had seven teenagers, including 15-year-old Archie Grey, on the bench.
But unlike Arsenal, which had Sunday’s game at Tottenham postponed due to a player shortage, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa said “we have no reason to ask for it” to be called off.
The Hammers are also few in numbers, again missing Tomas Sousek through COVID-19, and with three matches in a week caught up with them.
Leeds took the lead in the 10th minute.
Luke Ayling’s ball at the top cleared Rafinha to the right and his cutback found Mateusz Cliché in the area.
Kilch’s shot was beaten by goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, but Adam Forshaw was first on the loose ball and put Harrison back over the net.
Leeds’ injury problems deepened in the middle of the first half, when Forshaw and Junior Firpo both went limping.
West Ham leveled in 34th, with Bowen slipping Stuart Dallas to put Aaron Cresswell’s corner into the net.
Leeds almost immediately regained the lead when Ayling flicked Rafina to a corner and Harrison jumped to the far post.
Dan James had a chance to extend the advantage twice in the stoppage time of the first half, but he fired a direct shot at Fabianski and then gave him another chance.
Instead, West Ham leveled again in the second half at seven minutes, when Fornals got past Ayling and Pascal Struijk in the field before hitting Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Messlier the wrong way with a clever finish.
However, the match again got in the way of Leeds at the hour mark after Nikola Vlasic lost possession at the halfway line.
Rafinha galloped forward and bowled a brilliant throughball to Harrison, who skillfully lifted his shot on Fabiansky to complete a treble.
Leeds moved up nine points from the relegation zone.
West Ham finished fourth, two points ahead of Arsenal in two more games.
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