Late drama and penalty heroics send Leeds to FA Cup semis for first time since 1987

Leeds United staged a thrilling comeback to reach the FA Cup semifinals for the first time since 1987 , defeating West Ham United 4-2 in a penalty shootout at London Stadium on Sunday. The match delivered tension, heartbreak, and drama worthy of the storied competition.

Leeds had seemed comfortable after building a 2-0 lead through Ao Tanaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin , only for West Ham to strike twice in injury time, with Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi leveling the score in the 93rd and 96th minutes. The goals forced extra time, where West Ham came agonizingly close to taking the lead, but VAR intervened twice to chalk off goals for offside, keeping Leeds’ hopes alive.

The penalty shootout saw Leeds’ resilience shine. West Ham debutant Finlay Herrick made a crucial save from Joel Piroe , but it was Pascal Struijk who calmly converted the decisive penalty to send Leeds into the semifinals. “It was a crazy game,” said Leeds manager Daniel Farke , reflecting on a victory decades in the making.

Despite the drama on the pitch, the stadium was notably half-empty as thousands of West Ham fans had left early. A prior safety decision had restricted fans from standing behind a section of 9,000 Leeds supporters during the shootout, sparking minor controversy before being withdrawn.

Leeds will now face Chelsea in a repeat of the 1970 FA Cup final, while Manchester City takes on second-tier Southampton in the other semifinal, scheduled at Wembley on April 25-26.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo praised his team’s spirit despite the loss: “What I saw on the pitch was a group of players that didn’t give up. That is the major lesson we take from today.”

For Leeds, it was a night that combined near heartbreak, incredible resilience, and historic celebration, a reminder that in the FA Cup, anything can happen.