Leeds United secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium. The visitors had led 2-0 through a first-half goal from Ao Tanaka and a second-half penalty from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but West Ham mounted a stunning fightback. Jarrod Bowen hit the post and Mateus Fernandes tapped in the rebound, before Axel Disasi equalised in stoppage time to force extra time.
West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola went off injured just before penalties, handing a debut to 20-year-old Finlay Herrick, who had only 10 senior appearances on loan at Boreham Wood. Herrick saved Joël Piroe’s spot-kick, but Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri then saved from Jarrod Bowen and Pablo, allowing Pascal Struijk to score the winning penalty and send Leeds to Wembley to face Chelsea.
Leeds dominated the first half, with Tanaka opening the scoring after a neat move involving James Justin and Noah Okafor. West Ham improved after switching to a 4-4-2 at half-time, but Leeds doubled their lead when Calvert-Lewin converted a penalty after Maximilian Kilman fouled Brenden Aaronson. Thousands of home fans left at 2-0, but West Ham forced extra time with two late goals.
West Ham’s defensive frailties were exposed, with Kilman fortunate not to concede an earlier penalty. Leeds, who lost Joe Rodon to injury, showed resilience to hold on and win the shootout. The victory gives Leeds a psychological boost in their Premier League survival battle, as they sit four points above 18th-placed West Ham.
