LEEDS United edged past West Ham on penalties to secure Wembley date later this month, reports Sam French from London Stadium.
Leeds were 2-0 up in stoppage time at the end of ninety minutes but with eleven minutes added on, the hosts scored two quickfire goals to seal a dramatic comeback. The drama then went all the way to penalties, with Leeds victorious in the end.
City slickers put Leeds in their place
Despite both clubs fighting for survival in the Premier League, West Ham and Leeds United met at the London Stadium in an FA Cup quarter final. A place in the semi finals and a ticket to Wembley was waiting for the winner.
They came into this fresh after an international break and with another week still to go before the next round of league fixtures.
In the previous FA Cup round, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Hammers beat another Premier League side in Brentford on penalties at home. Whereas Daniel Farke’s Leeds won away at Championship opponents Norwich.
Over 9,000 travelling fans had made the journey from West Yorkshire down to the capital on Easter Sunday and the capacity home crowd also made for a great atmosphere ahead of kick-off.
Inside the opening minute of the game the away side tested Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal as Noah Okafor curled in a shot that needed to be pushed wide for a corner.
Six minutes into the match and it was Lucas Perri in the Leeds goal who then had to make a save, getting down low to stop Taty Castellanos’ connection on a low Jarrod Bowen cross going past the goal line.
In an evenly matched game, Adama Traore produced a moment to get the home fans excited at the quarter of an hour mark when he picked up the ball in his own half and carried it past the challenges of several Leeds players. He then played it out to Bowen in space and the Hammers captain saw his shot across goal saved.
Leeds United took the lead after twenty five minutes through Ao Tanaka. It was a good build-up play with possession for Farke’s side, before James Justin played it to Okafor who looked up and picked out Tanaka in the centre of the box. He had time on the ball to turn and take several touches before his shot was deflected off Axel Disasi and went in off the bar and past Areola. Defensively, it was poor from the home side.
The away fans were at the opposite end of the stadium to the one in which their team had just put the ball in the net but all the noise was now coming from the Leeds supporters.
They very nearly made it two-nil when they broke away and caught West Ham on the counter. Okafor carried the ball forward with pace and played it to Anton Stach. The German saw his shot saved by Areola but for a moment, and so soon after conceding the opener, the home side were living very dangerously.
Castellanos had an effort go just over the bar before half time but the home crowd were almost silent as the half time break approached. There hadn’t been too much for them to get excited about in the opening forty five minutes.
Leeds would be the happier at the break but Farke may have felt as though his side should’ve been in front by more than a single goal.
However, the home supporters weren’t impressed with what they had witnessed as their side was greeted with boos at the half time whistle.
The noise inside the stadium lifted once again as the Hammers made a promising start to the second half, enjoying more of the ball in attacking positions. Their best opening of the half so far came in the sixtieth minute when they broke away and Bowen had the ball in space, he pulled it back to Castellanos but his effort went wide.
Castellanos was in the thick of it again minutes later when his header from close range, after a cross by Traore, hit the post. West Ham were looking the more likely to score next. They continued to apply the pressure but couldn’t find the opening.
With twenty minutes of regular time remaining, Leeds were likely in search of another goal and they introduced Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the bench.
Then, after an intervention by VAR, Leeds were awarded a penalty in front of their supporters in the 73rd minute. Another of their subs, Brenden Aaronson was judged to have been fouled by Max Kilman. Replays showed that the defender did not get a touch on the ball. Fresh from making his England comeback last week, Calvert-Lewin scored from the spot to make it 2-0 to Leeds.
Wilfried Gnonto was inches away from making it 3-0 with a clever flick in the 79th minute as the ball narrowly sailed past the post. With ten minutes to go and extra time looking unlikely, many of the home fans were making the decision to head for the exits.
During the final stages of the match, there looked only ever to be one outcome.
However, eleven minutes of stoppage time were added and those left inside the stadium didn’t know how to react to such news. As it was announced, the home side had the ball and were attacking but they failed to carve out a clear chance.
That was until in the third minute of time added on Mateus Fernandes connected with the rebound of a Bowen shot, which had hit the post and suddenly it was 2-1.
A new sense of belief had been found and in the sixth minute of stoppage time it was 2-2 out of nowhere. Disasi got on the end of a cross by Traore and in it went.
The fans in the stadium couldn’t believe the turnaround. They celebrated all over again when the VAR check confirmed the goal. It was the home crowd who were now taunting the Leeds fans with chants of ‘you’re not singing anymore’. Some of those Hammers fans who had left were now returning to their seats.
In the final minute of stoppage time, Calvert-Lewin had a header at goal but this was comfortably saved by Areola. 2-2 after stoppage time meant extra time followed.
West Ham thought they’d wasted no time in the extra half an hour and picked up just where they finished when they had the ball in the net to make it 3-2. Castellanos thought he’d got his goal and wild celebrations followed but VAR swiftly ruled it out.
The cup tie was now being played at a fast pace and Justin had an effort for Leeds United cleared off the line in the next phase of play.
The home side had yet another goal disallowed for offside when a shot by Bowen again hit the post and the rebound fell to Pablo but he was in an offside position. The chances kept coming and Bowen dragged his shot wide of the post this time.
With the game level and four minutes away from penalties, more drama followed as West Ham were forced to substitute their keeper when Areola went off injured and was replaced by Finlay Herrick. It was to be a big moment for the 20 year-old and there would be five minutes of time added before the possible spot kicks.
The game was decided from the spot. Herrick saved the first penalty but in the end it was Leeds who booked their ticket to the semi-final, winning 4-2 in the shootout. They survived a scare but the side from West Yorkshire will be returning to the capital later this month for a trip to Wembley, where they’ll face Chelsea.
www.thefa.com/competitions/thefacup