‘Leeds are in a relegation battle’, says old rival Gabby Abgonlahor who slams ‘kamikaze defending’ of Marcelo Bielsa’s side after late defeat to West Ham

Whether they like it or not, Leeds are in a relegation battle, says Gabby Agbonlahor.

Leeds’ poor start to the season continued as they suffered a late defeat at home to West Ham.

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The match started well for Marcelo Bielsa’s men with Raphinha giving them the lead, however, Junior Firpo’s own goal and a 90th-minute strike from Michail Antonio condemned them to their third loss of the league season.

The Yorkshire club currently sit 18th in the table and although they’ve only played six matches, Agbonlahor believes Leeds‘ sole focus should be staying above three teams by the end of the season.

Agbonlahor added that their ‘kamikaze defending’ is the main reason Leeds find themselves in this position and claimed the argument that the team plays entertaining football is getting ‘boring.’

Speaking to talkSPORT, Agbonlahor – and old rival of Leeds who previously has branded Bielsa and his side as ‘a myth’ – said: “Going forward they were incredible. Raphinha was outstanding.

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“But you need to be able to defend to get results in the Premier League. It’s not all about running forward and leaving two for two like they did with Michail Antonio.

“It’s kamikaze defending week in, week out. West Ham had 20 shots.

“It’s boring when I hear people say it’s entertaining. If I’m a Leeds fan I want to be entertained but I also want to stay in the league.

“Leeds are in a relegation battle now. The way they’re playing, the way they concede goals…

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“When you’re 1-0 up, find a way to win the game. When it’s 1-1, find a way to get a point out of the game.

“They’ve got the second worst goal difference, they’re in a relegation battle whether they like it or not.”