Dominic Calvert-Lewin endured a Leeds United debut to forget as he missed a golden chance to win the tie against Sheffield Wednesday, before missing his spot kick in a shootout defeat.
Leeds looked like they could go out in normal time, when an inexplicable error from Karl Darlow handed the home side the lead just after an hour.
Daniel Farke turned to the big guns on his bench and got a near instantaneous response, as Jayden Bogle fired home to give the Whites a lifeline.
However, Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a succession of chances on debut to win the tie for Leeds before he capped a brutal night by blazing his penalty over the bar.
Calvert-Lewin was not alone, as Joel Piroe and Sean Longstaff saw their penalties saved to end a miserable night for Farke’s side.
As the Leeds boss faces the daunting prospect of lifting his side for their upcoming game against Newcastle, here are five lessons learned from a demoralising cup defeat.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United reacts to a missed chance
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Dominic Calvert-Lewin endures difficult Leeds debut
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been made to wait for his Leeds debut after sitting out the opening two games of the Premier League season.
He finally made his first appearance for his new club shortly before the hour mark, but struggled to make an impact as Leeds flirted with a cup exit.
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Calvert-Lewin’s seventh touch as a Leeds player should have been a decisive one, as he found himself presented with a golden opportunity to score, unmarked just yards out.
However, he somehow put the chance wide, as the game ended in a stalemate. It would be unfair to judge Calvert-Lewin on this chance alone, but he missed his chance to become an instant hero.
The Leeds number nine then somehow failed to score from another two good positions, as Ethan Horvath saved well before a dangerous ball was cut out just before it reached him.
A charitable assessment of his performance is that it is encouraging that he put himself in a position to score. However, Calvert-Lewin will be frustrated that he could not kill the tie when he had the chance.
Karl Darlow in action during Leeds United v AC Milan - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Karl Darlow adds to Daniel Farke’s goalkeeping woes
Daniel Farke will be hoping that he never sees a pair of goalkeeping gloves again, after Karl Darlow added to his woes with a costly mistake.
After Leeds’ promotion season was nearly derailed by a string of mistakes by Illan Meslier, new signing Lucas Perri was shaky against Arsenal.
Darlow added his contribution to the Hall of Fame of Leeds goalkeeping errors as he allowed a shot from Jamal Lowe to spin out of his grasp and trickle through his legs and over the line.
Leeds’ number two goalkeeper was then unable to keep out any of Wednesday’s penalties as Leeds’ issues between the sticks showed no sign of easing.
Noah Okafor struggles to make an impact on his first Leeds start
New signing Noah Okafor made his first start for Leeds after a cameo in the defeat by Arsenal, and big things were expected of the former AC Milan player.
While Okafor was busy in the first half for Leeds, his impact was limited as a disjointed Whites side struggled to break down the Owls.
Okafor started the second half brightly, with his early dribble winning a free-kick within shooting range, but Leeds wasted the subsequent chance.
There is undoubtedly more to come from one of Leeds’ marquee summer signings. However, Farke will have hoped to see more cutting-edge against their struggling opposition.
Noah Okafor of Leeds United warms up
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Jack Harrison stands out in a turgid attacking performance
Jack Harrison was given a hostile welcome by the Leeds faithful on several occasions during pre-season as he returned to the club after spending two seasons on loan with Everton.
Harrison has some work to do to earn back the trust of the Elland Road crowd, but he took the first step towards doing so in a bright performance at Hillsborough.
Starting in an unfamiliar role at left-back, Harrison produced an energetic display, constantly pushing forward to support the Leeds attack before tracking back relentlessly.
Jack Harrison vs Sheff Weds Total
Touches 124
Accurate Passes 75 (91%)
Accurate Crosses 4 (22%)
Ground Duels won 4 (80%)
Harrison even received some warm applause when he took a second-half corner, a change from the boos that greeted him in pre-season.
The former Bielsa stalwart still has his flaws, as evidenced by making just four accurate crosses from 18 attempts, according to FotMob. But Leeds fans love a hard worker, and Harrison took the first step on his road to redemption with a typically diligent performance.
Quality from the bench cannot spare Daniel Farke’s blushes
The game appeared to be drifting away from Leeds after Darlow’s error, forcing Farke to turn to the big-hitters on his bench to save the day.
Although Calvert-Lewin struggled to get up to speed, Willy Gnonto made an instant difference, adding pace and a newfound direct approach to Leeds’ ponderous attack.
Gnonto eventually made the difference, providing the assist to Jayden Bogle, who rifled home after also being introduced in the second half.
Ultimately, Leeds’ profligacy came back to bite them as they were unable to find the decisive second goal. The Whites are yet to score two goals in a game this season.