Daniel Farke (Credit: Imago)
Leeds United booked their place in the semi-final of the FA Cup, with the Whites set to face off against their old rivals Chelsea at Wembley.
With Leeds being 2-0 up in the quarter-final against West Ham as it entered stoppage time, Leeds looked as though they had cruised past the Hammers at the London Stadium; however, two quickfire goals from Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi left Leeds shell-shocked as their two-goal cushion evaporated.
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Leeds managed to regain their composure in extra time and hold on for penalties, where Lucas Perri was the hero again for United in the cup, with the Brazilian shot-stopper making two saves.
The Whites’ focus now shifts to the semi-final at Wembley against Chelsea, with Daniel Farke making a shocking admission ahead of the cup tie.
Daniel Farke admits Leeds are the “underdogs” against Chelsea
Farke made several changes to his usual starting lineup against West Ham, with the German now giving himself a selection headache going forward, as the likes of Ao Tanaka impressed during the game.
With Leeds taking four points from their two meetings in the Premier League against Chelsea this season, you would think that would give Farke confidence going into the semi-final, but this does not appear to be the case.
When previewing the matchup immediately after the West Ham game, Farke had this to say, as quoted by Beren Cross on X.
“We are not the favourites. The win was at a packed Elland Road. We are just promoted, and don’t have their resources. We need an extraordinary day and a bit of luck, but we all started in football to achieve unrealistic goals.”
Regardless if they are the favourites or not, tens of thousands of Leeds supporters are expected to flock to the capital to see their side compete in an FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 39 years.
READ MORE:Leeds United just got something they didn’t want after FA Cup win – The Leeds Press
Data suggests Leeds were fortunate to beat West Ham
Leeds will be hoping that they didn’t use up all their good luck in the penalty shootout against West Ham ahead of the semi-final, with the data from the game suggesting the Hammers’ should have won.
West Ham had an xG of 3.85 during the game compared to Leeds’ 3.09
West Ham also had more big chances during the game, with five compared to Leeds’ four
The hosts slightly edged it when it came to total shots, with 22 compared to Leeds’ 21 attempts (Sofascore)
Whilst their capitulation late on was concerning, there were plenty of positives for Leeds to take from the dramatic affair, particularly from an attacking standpoint as the Whites ended their four-game goal drought against Premier League opposition.
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