Leeds United 'beach' accusations fly but West Ham game points way forward — Graham Smyth's Verdict — YEP 25/5/26

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United finished an impressive 2025/26 Premier League season in uncharacteristic style in a game that signposted the way forward.

Enjoying a final game of the season in the sun is a reward only afforded to some. Leeds fans were sweating simply because it was the hottest day of the year for their team who left the relegation conversation a long time ago. West Ham were sweating the result and a potential return to the Championship. And on the pitch Daniel Farke's players sweated, toiled and ultimately did not enjoy a game that went very differently to so many that preceded it.

Any team that loses 3-0 having been marked safe from the drop before the finale is going to face accusations of being on the beach. Leeds' own social media account poked a little fun in that direction with a pre-match graphic showing captain Ethan Ampadu with a beach bag travelling up an underground escalator, with a gloved figure bearing a resemblance to Hammers man Crysencio Summerville on his way down. There was never any danger of a last laugh for the Hammers at Leeds' expense, but nor were there any smiles on the faces of Ampadu and his team-mates at the full-time whistle.

Even with the distinctly sleepy seaside vibes that Leeds' second-half performance gave off, this was a game they could have won without being too much better in the first half. They certainly had enough in the way of chances. The noise inside the London Stadium would have been coming from just one end had Brenden Aaronson made more of a first-minute moment. Spotting space, the American made a run forward and was found, only to turn back to try and win a free-kick on the edge instead of driving goalward to take on the shot. The free-kick didn't come and the chance went away.

An even better opportunity presented itself before the game was even 10 minutes old. Jaka Bijol's clever ball into Dominic Calvert-Lewin built the platform but having Lukas Nmecha close to the number 9 kept the move alive. When Jayden Bogle pulled the ball back from the byline, James Justin had a glorious shooting opportunity. His horribly wayward effort fell to Nmecha with too much on it and he failed to guide the ball towards goal.

Although West Ham eventually built up a little pressure and Leeds were forced to defend the area from a number of deliveries, the hosts' only early sight of goal came when the ball dropped to Pablo in the box and his shot hit Tomas Soucek before flying over the top.

Approaching the midway point of the half the level of creativity on the pitch failed to match that in the stands, where away fans were helpfully listing some of the opposition the Hammers could face next season in the second tier. But what angered the home supporters far more was the lack of urgency and accuracy in their team's play. It was Leeds passing the ball in a way that suggested there was a game to be won. It was Leeds making the next chance, too and it was the best of the lot. Nmecha's skill left one defender for dead in the area and he deceived another by opting to pass to Calvert-Lewin a few yards out. Somehow the striker trickled his effort into Mads Hermansen rather than lacing it into the net.

Tottenham opener fuelled West Ham nerves

News of Spurs' opener against Everton further sapped the energy of the home supporters, who booed West Ham off at the break with the scores still level and the Hammers heading out of the Premier League.

For Leeds and Aaronson the second half started in a not-too dissimilar fashion to the first. It was he who had the first shooting chance and this time got a strike away, though failed to trouble Hermansen. And after Mateus Fernandes had slipped over with the ball at his feet six yards from Leeds' goal, Aaronson got the ball on the edge of the box and this time turned back and won a free-kick. He took it, hit the wall and trundled the rebound effort harmlessly wide.

Whether it was the heat or the lack of jeopardy for Leeds, sleepiness crept in to give West Ham chances, if not hope. Bogle's poor touch put Summerville in the area and a combination of Pascal Struijk and Ao Tanaka took the ball away from Darlow to briefly induce panic. Tanaka then slipped on halfway, allowing West Ham to break and counter without finding a finish.

That sleepiness eventually led to a goal. A lazy pass from Bogle was cut out and West Ham pushed forward to win a corner. When it was swung to the back post Taty Castellanos got up and Joe Rodon did not, the ball ending up in the back of Leeds' net. Rather than unbridled joy, the goal sparked a wave of anti-board sentiment from home supporters.

Second-string Leeds United finished game

Farke was preparing Willy Gnonto and Dan James prior to the opener and stuck with his plan, removing Bijol and Calvert-Lewin and switching to a back four. It wasn't long before Farke made more changes and West Ham scored another goal. With Joel Piroe and Facundo Buonanotte joining Aaronson behind Nmecha, and Gnonto playing left-back, the Whites were cut open by a pass that Jarrod Bowen finished off. Callum Wilson cracked one in from distance to make it 3-0 in stoppage time.

For a team that has shown remarkable mentality, resilience and fight for so long this season, to suddenly switch off and enter 'flight mode' would be so uncharacteristic as to be almost impossible to believe. It is not an accusation you could ever level at Ampadu at any other stage of the campaign. Even he was giving the ball away towards the end. So perhaps there was something in Farke's suggestion that this was 'one game too far' for a team with such injury issues.

It would be fair to place at least some of the blame at the sight of so many fringe players on the pitch at once in the latter stages and that is a good place to start for the task that lies ahead. To take further steps forward the first team, not just the squad, will have to improve. Greater depth, greater levels of individual quality. Players who create better and more frequent chances than the ones conjured in this game. Players who finish them. Players who can put nailed-on starters under real pressure and give Farke more match-changing power on his bench.

Losing this game changes nothing about how good Leeds have been this season. They finished 14th, above Spurs, Forest, Palace and the relegated trio. It is a position and a points tally [47] that would have been snapped up by all associated with the club if offered last August. It is a result that has been hard-earned and it is one that is richly deserved. Leeds have proven themselves to be a lower midtable team this season. And while the players hit the beach to build sandcastles, the hierarchy must build on the formations now in place to create an established midtable club.