Leeds United were taken the distance by Championship opponents Birmingham City in the FA Cup fourth round, needing penalties to secure their progression.
Sean Longstaff calmly slotted home the decisive spot-kick, confirming the Whites’ passage after a fiercely contested encounter.
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Under the spotlight in recent weeks, Lucas Perri rose to the occasion with a string of important saves in open play and during the shootout, ensuring there was no upset at St Andrew’s.
While Perri showed why he could still have a future at Leeds, Wilfried Gnonto produced a woeful performance that is almost certain to end his time at Elland Road in the coming months.
Wilfried Gnonto did nothing to suggest he has a future at Leeds
Gnonto has not started a Premier League game since November, and a start against Birmingham should have been a chance for him to show he deserves more opportunities.
Leeds fans do have sympathy for the winger who has suffered because of the mid-season formation change and no longer has a natural place in the team.
However, his performance on Sunday makes it hard for his supporters to defend him and advocate for the winger to get more opportunities in the Premier League.
Gnonto scored in the previous round of the FA Cup against Derby County and was expected to stamp his authority on a Championship side again.
However, the performance showed why Gnonto is likely to leave Leeds in the summer transfer window as he is rapidly running out of chances to prove his worth to Daniel Farke.
He was linked with a move away from Leeds in the winter window. However, the club held on to him as Farke didn’t want to weaken the squad.
With the Leeds manager continuing to ignore him for league starts, the Italian is likely to move on from Leeds at the end of the season.
Gnonto’s numbers against Birmingham are woeful
Gnonto failed the eye test against Birmingham City, but even the numbers are failing to redeem the poor level of that performance.
The Italian had little impact in the final third of the pitch and was poor as Leeds struggled to open up a Championship side in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Wilfried Gnonto vs Birmingham – Match Performance Analysis
A detailed breakdown of Wilfried Gnonto’s performance against Birmingham,
highlighting his ball retention, dribbling output and carrying influence.
Match Statistics – Gnonto vs Birmingham
Touches
Unsuccessful Touches
Dribbles (Successful)
Possession Lost
Total Carrying Distance
Carries
Progressive Carries
He squandered possession 12 times and failed to complete the only dribble he attempted in the entire game.
Gnonto neither created any chances nor provided any attacking threat, as Leeds looked boring and lacked any penetration against Birmingham.
He was not the only player who was under par. However, Gnonto needed to produce a performance that he is unlikely to get a chance to redeem himself soon.
The winger is likely to be back on the bench when Leeds travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League next weekend.