Leeds United were forced to dig deep against Championship side Birmingham City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, eventually advancing after a dramatic penalty shootout.
Sean Longstaff showed real composure to convert the winning spot-kick, booking the Whites’ place in the next stage following a gruelling contest.
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Having come under criticism in recent weeks, Lucas Perri responded in style, producing several vital saves both in regulation time and in the shootout to prevent a shock at St Andrew’s.
Birmingham City boss Chris Davies has a lot to be proud of the performance, and many felt that they were the better team against Premier League opposition.
Chris Davies feels his team were the better compared to Leeds United
The Birmingham City boss conceded that he could not have asked for more from his team and admitted that no one would have complained had the home side scored a late winner against Leeds.
He stressed that the Blues showed what they are capable of against a Premier League side and feels that they should have scored a winning goal late in the game.
Davies told reporters after the game: “I am proud, and the players should be proud of themselves. They gave a lot, every single one of them, to a man, can hold their heads up high.
“If we had scored that goal in the last minute of the game and won 2-1, there would have been no complaints from anyone, and that says it all really.
“In extra time, both sides are digging in, there are tired bodies, and then when it comes to penalties, you have to go for it as best you can, but it wasn’t to be.
“We hit the post twice, we had clearances, we have had a few games like that, but this one in particular – against a good quality team – we really showed what we are capable of.
“We were quick into the game, aggressive, tenacious, we were fluid with the ball and caused them problems.
“I liked everything about them in the first half; we gave nothing away, and we looked strong. We conceded a sloppy goal in the second half, but outside of that, we kept going and threw everything at it, got a deserved equaliser and then nearly a winning goal.”
The numbers tell the same story
Davies has every right to feel that his team should have won the game in normal time, and Leeds were distinctly poor for most of the game.
Steve McManaman did claim that the better team lost, and it was an astonishing Lucas Perri save that kept Leeds in the game during normal time.
Birmingham vs Leeds – Match Stats Breakdown
Full statistical comparison from the Birmingham vs Leeds United clash.
Birmingham Match Statistic Leeds United
17 Shots 15
5 Shots on Target 2
55% Possession 45%
0 Passes 0
13 Fouls 14
3 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
1 Offsides 3
13 Corners 10
The numbers of the game show that Birmingham truly dominated the game, and Leeds could count themselves lucky to be in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Birmingham dominated possession, created the better chances and had Leeds on the ropes on several occasions during the game.
The Whites prevailed on penalties and kept their nerve. However, they have to produce much better if they want to go beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2003.