Leeds United have failed to keep their battle against Premier League relegation in their hands after suffering a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium this afternoon.
The Whites will need to take nothing less than three points from their final fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road next weekend, and even so, if Everton secure a victory at Goodison Park against Bournemouth, it won't be enough to save them.
Leeds struggled to deliver on their visit to East London with just 41% possession and fewer shots on target (3 v 9), which was a testament to yet another uninspiring performance from the side.
In the first half, the fight for survival looked very much back on for the west Yorkshire club when Rodrigo found the back of the net in the 17th minute, however, from that moment on it turned into a nightmare.
The Hammers had no trouble getting back into the game, with the defensive quality of Leeds getting worse as the game went on with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini all taking advantage to snatch all three points.
Indeed, it would be unfair to pinpoint the blame on just one individual for increasing the chances of relegation, but Luke Ayling's inability to retain possession or even just accurately pass the ball certainly contributed to the huge pressure Leeds now face.
How did Luke Ayling get on vs West Ham United?
The right-back has been on the entire journey with Leeds from Championship strugglers to the Premier League promotion highs, but his more recent performances this season have dampened his legacy at the club.
The Elland Road faithful are loyal to their team but would expect a player who has been with them on the rollercoaster ride that has been the last few years to put up a fight when needed most.
The £20k-per-week liability – who has been slammed for his lazy "ball-watching" by Sky Sports commentator Andy Hinchliffe this season – lost possession of the ball 20 times, misplaced all eight of his crosses and completed just 67% of his passes in a dismal display with the ball at his feet.
Furthermore, the defender lost 100% of his aerial duels and didn't make a single interception on a torrid afternoon.
The experienced full-back unsurprisingly picked up a terrible 4/10 match rating from Leeds Live's Beren Cross, who said of his display: "He left the team exposed down his flank when they were countered on."
It is clear that no matter what happens when Leeds' fate is sealed next weekend, there needs to be big changes in the squad personnel and adding quality in key areas of the pitch will be absolutely imperative to improve their performances.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Sam Allardyce makes some much-needed tweaks to his team on the final day of the campaign, but either way, Leeds will now have to hope other teams can do them favours in their pursuit of safety.
