Match report as Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen fire West Ham into FA Cup fourth round; Leeds exit competition at third-round stage for ninth time in last 12 seasons
Sunday 9 January 2022 16:53, UK
Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen piled more FA Cup misery on Leeds as West Ham marched into the fourth round.
Lanzini's first-half goal and Bowen's late strike secured a 2-0 win for David Moyes' side and condemned Leeds to a ninth third-round defeat in the last 12 seasons.
It is now five years since the Whites have won an FA Cup match, and they rarely looked like bucking that sorry trend in a one-sided London Stadium encounter.
Moyes named a strong Hammers side and they almost took the lead after just 10 minutes when Declan Rice's cross from the byline was met with a poor defensive header.
The loose ball fell at the feet of Bowen but Luke Ayling had managed to get back onto the goal-line to block the forward's shot.
Michail Antonio, a surprise inclusion given the Hammers face Norwich in a rearranged Premier League match on Wednesday, then saw a curling effort loop onto the roof of the net.
A host of injuries in the Leeds squad had prompted boss Marcelo Bielsa to hand debuts to Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde and a first start to a third 19-year-old, Sam Greenwood.
It was a tough entry into the senior ranks for Bate, up against Rice and Tomas Soucek in a full-strength West Ham midfield, but he did get a shot away which Hammers 'keeper Alphonse Areola held.
The hosts were dominating, though, and their first goal arrived in the 34th minute when Nikola Vlasic tried to give Hjelde the slip in the area and both landed in a heap.
Vlasic managed to hook the ball away from Leeds 'keeper Illian Meslier and it eventually squirmed back to Lanzini, who lashed it home from 10 yards.
VAR Peter Bankes had a long, hard look at the replays before eventually deciding there was no offside against the lurking Bowen, and the goal stood.
Ryan Fredericks should have doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time after a lovely one-two with Bowen, but the full-back's finish was too close to Meslier.
Bielsa replaced Greenwood and Bate with Raphinha and Stuart Dallas at half-time.
But it was West Ham who were the more threatening after the interval with Meslier saving with his feet from Bowen and Fredericks fizzing a shot across goal and wide.
Leeds could have forced extra-time with two minutes remaining when Jack Harrison's low cross eluded Craig Dawson, but Daniel James was unable to turn the ball home.
Instead, another early Leeds exit was confirmed when Antonio broke clear from a visitors corner and squared for Bowen to wrap up the victory.
West Ham host Norwich on Wednesday (7.45pm), while Leeds travel to West Ham again on Sunday January 16 in a game you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League at 2pm.
The draw for the FA Cup fourth round will take place on Sunday January 9 after West Ham's clash with Leeds at the London Stadium at around 4.50pm.
