Leeds United got the job done against West Ham United on Friday night under the Elland Road lights, and Jermain Defoe has given his verdict on their fight to survive relegation.
Coming into the game, Leeds had lost two matches on the spin and illness had rocked the camp, along with Daniel Farke having to contend with several injuries. He made four changes to his starting line-up.
In a rather un-Daniel Farke-like manner, the German brought in Lucas Perri, Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, and Noah Okafor, and it did the trick. Brenden Aaronson was quickest to a loose ball to put Leeds ahead.
Not long after, the combination of Sean Longstaff and Joe Rodon from a corner worked for the second time this season, compounding West Ham’s set-piece misery. Leeds held on to secure a huge 2-1 win.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty ImagesJermain Defoe thinks Leeds win is ‘massive’ in relegation fight
Mateus Fernandes, a player linked with Leeds in the summer, headed in a late Jarrod Bowen cross, but it was too little, too late for West Ham as Nuno Espirito Santo’s perfect Leeds record came to an end.
Speaking to Premier League Productions after the game, former West Ham and England striker Jermain Defoe said the win is “massive” for Leeds and recalled how it was always tough to go to Elland Road.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
“It’s massive, even looking at the table, they have a bit of breathing space. Of course, they can’t rest on their laurels and you have to keep going, but this was a massive game,” Defoe said, in the fight to survive.
“If you can beat the teams in around you – Leeds was always a tough place to go, always really difficult, under the lights. Fantastic performance, everyone to a man, massive win,” the former Spurs man added.
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Suddenly, all the pressure surrounding Daniel Farke dissolves
There had been murmurs going into the game that a defeat to West Ham might have tempted the 49ers to start drawing up a list of replacements. Aidy White said he had to pick up points in the next three.
Well, Leeds now have 11 points from nine, and sit in a more comfortable 13th place in the Premier League table. As Defoe says, however, Leeds cannot rest on their laurels. Two massive games are ahead for Leeds.
Brighton away and Nottingham Forest away, before the Whites endure a run of games that includes Man City, Liverpool twice, Chelsea and Crystal Palace before the new year. Huge, huge win for Farke and Leeds.