After nearly four decades of waiting, Leeds United have booked their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals, pulling off a tense penalty shootout victory over West Ham United that capped a chaotic, rollercoaster quarter-final clash at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Daniel Farke’s side looked destined for a straightforward win for much of the 90 minutes. Japan international Ao Tanaka broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, twisting cleverly to create space inside the West Ham penalty area before his deflected effort bounced off the crossbar and past goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. Leeds doubled their advantage in the 75th minute, when referee Craig Pawson overturned his initial non-penalty call following a VAR review after Max Kilman brought down Brenden Aaronson in the box. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted the spot-kick with calm confidence, sending Areola the wrong way before celebrating in front of 9,000 travelling Leeds fans.
With just minutes remaining on the clock, Leeds held a comfortable two-goal lead, but a late stoppage-time rally from West Ham turned the tie on its head. In the third minute of added time, West Ham got on the scoresheet when Jarrod Bowen’s strike hit the post, and Mateus Fernandes tapped home the loose rebound to cut the deficit. Three minutes later, with 11 minutes of stoppage time announced, Adama Traore delivered a sharp inswinging cross into the six-yard box, and former Chelsea defender Axel Disasi volleyed home with an outstretched foot to level the score, forcing the tie into extra time.
The dramatic late equaliser stunned Leeds, who were unable to retake the lead in the additional 30 minutes. With the score still locked at 2-2 after extra time, the fixture went to penalties to decide who would advance to Wembley.
The shootout delivered more twists and turns. Joel Piroe missed Leeds’ first penalty, saved by 20-year-old reserve goalkeeper Finlay Herrick, who had been thrown into his senior debut after Areola suffered a late injury in extra time. Herrick, who spent the first half of the season on loan at non-league side Boreham Wood, could not inspire a fairytale comeback for West Ham, however. Leeds converted their next four penalties through Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto and Pascal Struijk. Leeds keeper Lucas Perri emerged as the shootout hero, saving West Ham’s opening penalty from Bowen and a second spot-kick from Pablo Fornals, securing a 4-2 penalty win for Leeds.
This is Leeds’ second penalty shootout victory in this season’s FA Cup, following their fourth-round win over Birmingham City. When they take the pitch at Wembley in April, they will face Chelsea in the semi-final, marking their first appearance in the last four of the competition since 1987, when they fell to eventual winners Coventry City at Hillsborough.
After the final whistle, Farke praised his side’s mental strength to pull through the dramatic late collapse. “We always do it the tough way, never the easy way. We could have made our lives easier,” Farke told reporters. “We had a late sucker punch when the whole stadium was buzzing. To keep the nerves and win the penalty shoot-out shows great mentality and character. This is a chapter of Leeds history. It will be a big night for us at Wembley. It’s a great step for this club and a great reward for everyone.”
For both clubs, the FA Cup run comes amid a tense fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League. West Ham sit third from bottom, one point adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur with just seven matches remaining in the league season. Leeds sit four points above West Ham, and the two sides will meet again at the London Stadium on the final day of the league campaign in what could prove to be a decisive relegation showdown. Sunday’s win offers a much-needed confidence boost for Leeds as they shift their focus back to league survival.
Leeds’ history at Wembley has been underwhelming in recent decades: the club have lost their three previous trips to the national stadium, in the 2024 Championship play-off final, 2008 League One play-off final and 1996 League Cup final. Leeds’ only FA Cup title came in 1972, and their last win at Wembley was a 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the 1992 Charity Shield. For a generation of Leeds fans, a semi-final appearance at Wembley is the reward for a decades-long wait, and a rare bright spot amid a tough relegation battle this season.