• West Ham manager David Moyes with his players at the end of the victory at Leeds. AP
    West Ham manager David Moyes with his players at the end of the victory at Leeds. AP
  • Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich (3L) celebrates scoring the opening goal from a retaken penalty. AFP
    Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich (3L) celebrates scoring the opening goal from a retaken penalty. AFP
  • Mateusz Klich scores from the penalty spot past Lukasz Fabianski. Getty
    Mateusz Klich scores from the penalty spot past Lukasz Fabianski. Getty
  • Tomas Soucek celebrates West Ham's leveller. EPA
    Tomas Soucek celebrates West Ham's leveller. EPA
  • West Ham United's Italian defender Angelo Ogbonna (C) celebrates with West Ham United's Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek after the match. AFP
    West Ham United's Italian defender Angelo Ogbonna (C) celebrates with West Ham United's Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek after the match. AFP
  • West Ham United's Angelo Ogbonna (centre) celebrates scoring his side's second goal. PA
    West Ham United's Angelo Ogbonna (centre) celebrates scoring his side's second goal. PA
  • Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham United celebrates with team mates (l - r) Aaron Cresswell, Said Benrahma and Declan Rice after scoring the second. Getty
    Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham United celebrates with team mates (l - r) Aaron Cresswell, Said Benrahma and Declan Rice after scoring the second. Getty
  • Tomas Soucek and Angelo Ogbonna celebrate after the match. Reuters
    Tomas Soucek and Angelo Ogbonna celebrate after the match. Reuters
  • Leeds United's head coach Marcelo Bielsa watches the defeat at Elland Road. AP
    Leeds United's head coach Marcelo Bielsa watches the defeat at Elland Road. AP

West Ham overcome VAR anger to beat Leeds and climb to fifth in Premier League


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Manager David Moyes was delighted as West Ham came from behind to win 2-1 at Leeds and move up to fifth in the Premier League.

The Hammers looked shell-shocked at the start at Elland Road, going behind to a retaken fifth-minute penalty from Mateusz Klich.

But they soon found their feet - and Leeds' weakness - as two towering heads from Tomas Soucek and Angelo Ogbonna won the match.

It could have been more but for a superb performance from Leeds rookie goalkeeper Illan Meslier, though his one error of the night was costly as he really should have got a stronger hand to Soucek's equaliser.

"I thought we played well at times, Leeds did too, and we almost expect it from Leeds to get forward but I thought their keeper was outstanding tonight," Moyes said.

"We created chances we should have taken too. We didn't do any more practice than we might (on set-pieces). We have good delivery and players good in the air and it's a big part of football, scoring from set-pieces and not conceding."

Moyes said he was "angry" that Klich's penalty was retaken after referee Michael Oliver was told Lukasz Fabianski came off his line before saving the initial spot-kick.

"I'm angry, I'm still angry," he said. "If they thought there was a doubt, why did they let the game go and then pull it back? I thought his heel was on the line and on that occasion, surely the benefit goes to the goalkeeper?"

For Leeds, it is another defeat which will cause concern.

Losing games was inevitable on their return to the top flight, but the ease with which they are losing aerial duels will continue to cost them points unless they remedy the issue.

"There are no mysteries to what we have to do," said head coach Marcelo Bielsa. "The set-pieces can be perfected by continuously training. We have to reproduce what happens in the game in training.

"We will continue insisting on this until we can resolve the problem. What's happening is not exclusively about work not being done - we have had this problem in the past, we solved it, we have to again."

Asked if he was encouraged by close margins of defeat, he added: "That's not the case. We have lost 4-1, 3-1 and today we could have lost by a bigger margin."

The win lifts the Hammers to fifth spot in the standings with 20 points after 12 games. Leeds remain in 14th place on 14 points.