Leeds claimed their first Premier League win at home since the opening day of the season to pile on the problems for dismal West Ham.
The result lifted Daniel Farke’s men up to 13th in the table, while the visitors remain second bottom after a seventh loss in nine league games.
Brenden Aaronson set the hosts on their way inside three minutes and by the time Joe Rodon headed a second with just over 14 minutes on the clock, it was the earliest Leeds had held a two-goal advantage in the English top flight since April 2004.
Both followed some shambolic defending from the Hammers, with Ollie Scarles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka culpable for the first as American winger Aaronson stole in to finish after Noah Okafor’s header had been saved.
Jean-Clair Todibo was then caught out as Wales international Rodon was given a free run to attack a corner from Sean Longstaff.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side played in front of thousands of empty seats in their loss to Brentford on Monday at the London Stadium, as supporters protested against the club’s board.
And their disgruntled fans that made the journey to Yorkshire had little to cheer yet again aside from a 90th-minute consolation from Mateus Fernandes as their side slipped to a third consecutive defeat in their worst start to a top-flight season since 1973-74.
Nuno remains without a win after four games in charge since replacing Graham Potter.
A miserable evening for his side was compounded by an injury to teenage defender Scarles, while Lucas Paqueta had an effort disallowed for offside following a video assistant referee (VAR) review – both incidents combining to add 13 minutes of injury time to the first period.