David Moyes Discusses VAR Controversy & Hails West Ham Players Following Impressive Win Over Leeds
By Ross Jackson
David Moyes has heaped praise on his West Ham side's performance after they came from a goal down to secure a 2-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road.
The Hammers suffered an early setback after Lukasz Fabianski brought down Patrick Bamford in the area. The shot-stopper saved the original penalty, only for VAR to intervene and rule the Poland international had stepped off his line, with his countryman Mateusz Klich at the second time of asking.
Moyes' side rallied after going 1-0 down and produced a superb performance to take all three points, leaving the West Ham boss delighted at his team's display, and the Scotsman is keen for his team to maintain their good form in the wake of what he described as one of their best performances of the season.
“We need to keep the level high," Moyes said (via the club’s official website). "We’ve got some really outstanding performances at the moment, but I think tonight [against Leeds] is up there with it because of the type of game it is, the club we’re playing against and the way they’ve been playing.
"Everybody is so keen to watch them because of their energy and the way they play, but I have to say the players did a brilliant job tonight.”
“I think every game we’ve played – when we lost at Liverpool I thought we were unlucky when we lost to a penalty, we have played Manchester City at home [and drawn] and we had a terrible decision against us against Manchester United at home that turned the game – we have gone into and believed we can challenge all the teams we face.”
Despite heaping praise on his side, Moyes couldn't hide his fury at the decision which saw his side go a goal down. Having saved Klich's original penalty, Fabianski was adjudged to have marginally stepped off his line, with Leeds subsequently taking the lead from the retake.
The Hammers boss admitted he was far from impressed with the decision - claiming his side are being singled out by the officials - though he believes the reintroduction of the club's fans could help their cause.
“I am really angry with it but I’m not going to allow West Ham to be pushed around," he added. "I’m not going to allow a decision when the ball is two yards over the line and a penalty kick when the goalkeeper’s heel is on the line and it to be a case of ‘It’s OK. It’s West Ham. We’ll just give them that sort of treatment'.
“We need to stand up for ourselves and fight for it and that’s why, when we get the supporters back, they need to be fighting for every decision inside the stadium because at the moment, we’ve had some, but I’ve got to say the last couple we’ve had have been hard to take.”