Declan left gutted

Declan Rice was left gutted by the defeat to Leeds on Sunday.

The Hammers were roundly outplayed for 90 minutes against Marcelo Bielsa’s side and a hat-trick from Jack Harrison proved decisive for the Elland Road side.

Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals had twice brought the Hammers back into the game but Bowen missed a sitter in the last minute of injury time that would have earned the Irons a point.

Rice was excellent throughout the game, surging forward from midfield and making every effort to stick the ball in the back of the net.

But he couldn’t quite make it happen and he was left utterly dejected after the game, as he rued the Irons’ inability to seize a huge chance in the top four race, especially as Spurs’ clash with Arsenal was postponed.

Speaking after the game, as per BBC Sport, he said: “Very frustrating. Not like our usual selves. We started the game poorly. They were right on the front foot. Their goal was a wake up call.

“We have got this far and doing really well. We are still in the top four at the minute. This was a big chance to close the gap on Chelsea in second, but that is football. It is about how you bounce back.”

Declan has already set his sights on next weekend’s clash with Manchester United, which could be huge in their bid to qualify for the Champions League.

United are five points behind the Irons with two games in hand.

He added: “We always take it one game at a time. We knew today was massive chance, it is a chance missed. Massive. It will be tough but one we are ready for and it is always an unbelievable chance to play at Old Trafford and try and get a result there.

“There were silly mistakes. Just down to mistakes today.”