West Ham United 2-0 Leeds United
Emirates FA Cup third round
Manuel Lanzini made it two goals in two games in 2022 as West Ham United scored a 2-0 Emirates FA Cup third-round victory over Leeds United.
Fresh from his thunderbolt in our 3-2 Premier League win at Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day, the No10 was on target again with a smartly taken first-half strike at London Stadium.
And the in-form Jarrod Bowen, who had been the centre of a VAR review for Lanzini's opener, averted any late drama by converting Michail Antonio's pass in the third minute of added-time to secure his team's progress to the fourth round.
West Ham were value for their second win of the season over Leeds, following a 2-1 Premier League success at Elland Road in September, with only missed opportunities and last-ditch defending stopping David Moyes' men from securing a wider margin of victory.
As it was, goals in either half from Lanzini and Bowen got the job done.
The Argentinian made it six for the season eleven minutes before the interval, pouncing when the ball squirmed free after Nikola Vlašić had seen shots blocked by both defender Leo Hjelde and goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
As is so often the case these days, however, the goal was not confirmed before a lengthy check by VAR Jarred Gillett for possible offside against Bowen. The No20 was beyond the final defender when Vlašić’s initial effort was blocked and he then went after the loose ball but, because Bowen did not ultimately touch it, the goal was allowed to stand.
That controversy aside, in truth the Hammers should have been all but in the fourth round by half-time.
The movement of West Ham’s front four was causing constant problems for Leeds’ back line, with the lively Bowen again influential. He saw an early shot cleared off the line by Whites captain Luke Ayling before teeing up the returning Ryan Fredericks, who saw his first-time effort saved by a diving Meslier, on the stroke of half-time.
In between, the winger combined with Vlašić to find Antonio, whose shot was deflected onto the roof of the net by Diego Llorente, while the latter also sent a powerful effort well wide from Ben Johnson’s curling cross.
Leeds’ attacking forays were sporadic, with Alphonse Areola having little to do aside from a routine catch from Lewis Bates’ curling effort.
The same pattern continued after the break, with the Irons creating a succession of presentable chances to add to their advantage.
First, Antonio held off his man before feeding Bowen, whose powerful right-foot shot was repelled by Meslier’s legs, then Lanzini – surely back to somewhere approaching his 2015/16 season pomp – left his man for dead before rolling square for Declan Rice, only for the skipper to fire high and wide from 25 yards.
Marcelo Bielsa made changes in a bid to change the flow of the game, introducing star man Raphinha to the delight of the 8,500 travelling supporters.
Leeds did improve marginally, but neither Jack Harrison nor Daniel James could turn the ball home from crosses inside the six-yard box, and, after Fredericks had lashed a low shot narrowly past the post, they were ultimately made to pay for those misses by Bowen.
With players committed upfield in search of an equaliser, including Meslier, Leeds were caught out on the break, with Antonio running clear before squaring for Bowen, who fired through the retreating goalkeeper's legs to book West Ham's place in the fourth round for the fifth successive season.
West Ham United: Areola, Fredericks, Dawson, Diop, Johnson, Rice ©️, Souček, Vlašić (Masuaku 88), Lanzini (Fornals 76), Bowen, Antonio (Yarmolenko 90+4)
Subs not used: Randolph (GK), Alese, Baptiste, Král, Noble, Fornals, Okoflex
Goals: Lanzini 34, Bowen 90+3
Booked: Lanzini
Leeds United: Meslier, Ayling © (Forshaw 60), Kock, Hjelde (Summerville 78), Llorente, Firpo (Drameh 69), Bate, Klich, James, Harrison, Greenwood (Raphinha 46)
Subs not used: Klaesson (GK), Dallas, McCarron, Jenkins, Moore
Booked: Drameh
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 54,303