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LEEDS STORM TO STATEMENT WIN, LEAVING WEST HAM IN CHAOS

West Ham's crisis deepens with a 2-1 loss to Leeds, marking their 7th defeat. Nuno Espirito Santo's experimental tactics & inverted full-backs failed again, leaving the Hammers just 4 points off the bottom in a looming relegation battle.

Leeds Storm to Statement Win, Leaving West Ham in Chaos
Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United reacts after his side concedes a second goal during the Premier League match between Leeds United and West Ham United at Elland Road on October 24, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Tonight at Elland Road, the Hammers lost their seventh Premier League game of the season, capping the first quarter of a campaign that is already on the verge of collapse.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team is now firmly entrenched in a relegation battle with 29 games remaining after tonight's 2-1 loss in Yorkshire. They are currently only four points ahead of winless Wolves in the league and have had the worst start to a Premier League season.

Some may ask why it has taken so long, as Santo, who took Graham Potter's post less than a month ago, wore his predecessor's disturbed countenance. tonight as he walked uncomfortably along the touchline.

The 51-year-old will now be fully aware of the magnitude of the challenge at hand, as in his four games in command, he has only managed one of those points, against Everton, led by former manager David Moyes.

However, there may not be much sympathy for West Ham's new head coach after he confused many supporters with yet another experimental lineup that continued to use inverted full-backs (Scarles and Wan-Bissaka), which, like against Brentford 96 hours prior, proved to be an absolute disaster. Jarrod Bowen, as a central striker and Malick Diouf, as a left winger, were also used.

With Aaronson and Rodon taking gifts from West Ham's generous and, to be honest, poor defence, the players appeared to be equally confused with Santo's tactical intentions. They fell by one goal after just three minutes and then two after fifteen.

With just one goal under Santo, the game was all but over. At least for the manager's strategy, as he substituted frontman Callum Wilson for the regrettably injured Scarles (shoulder) within ten minutes, presumably realising the foolishness of using a young player in such an unfamiliar role.

On the plus side, substitute Mateus Fernandes gave the Hammers a chance to win something at the end of normal time by flicking home a tease from Jarrod Bowen, giving the travelling, long-suffering supporters something to cheer about at least.

The loss puts West Ham seven points behind tonight's opponents, Leeds, who go up to 13th, and three behind Burnley, who are in 17th position.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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