Luke Ayling declares Leeds United fans aim and rates new survival chance with Whites must

Leeds went into Sunday's clash at West Ham with their survival destiny still in their own hands and knowing that six points from their final two games would see themselves safe. United, though, fell to a 3-1 defeat at the London Stadium which has left the Whites two points adrift of safety with only one game left.

Sam Allardyce's side must beat Sunday's visitors Tottenham Hotspur to stand any chance of survival but also hope that fourth-bottom Everton slip up against visiting Bournemouth, even without accounting for second-bottom Leicester City who are just one point behind the Whites.

Ayling admits that United's chances of staying up are now "slim" but says his team must finish with a bang and give the club’s Elland Road fans the send-off they deserve.

Speaking to Sky Sports after Sunday's defeat in East London, Ayling was asked what the result did to United's hopes of survival.

"It slims it down a little bit," admitted the defender. "But there still is hope. We have just got to go out there and try and take care of our business and hope for the best really. We know it's a slim chance but we have got to hang on to that and try and go out in a good way because the fans deserve that, especially at home. We are going to have to try and give it our all next week."

Leeds put themselves on course to net the win they needed at West Ham when Rodrigo applied a terrific volleyed finish from a Weston McKennie long throw in the 17th minute. But Declan Rice struck an Irons equaliser 15 minutes later and Leeds then wilted after the break as the Hammers recorded a 3-1 victory via strikes from Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini.

"It comes down to a whole season and we haven't been good enough," said Ayling, asked whether a drop of intensity was to blame for results over the last couple of months. “But there's still a little bit of hope and we have got to grab on to that and then we have got to go again next week because there still is a tiny little bit of hope.

"I think now and for a few days it is going to be hard to get up for it. But we need to make sure that as the week goes on that we get our heads in the right place and then we go out there and try and win a game of football."