Leeds advanced to the FA Cup’s round of 16, overcoming Birmingham 4-2 in a penalty shootout, with Sean Longstaff converting the decisive spot-kick after the match concluded 1-1 following extra time.
An 89th-minute goal from Birmingham’s substitute, Patrick Roberts, nullified Lukas Nmecha’s goal from the second half, but Leeds maintained their composure during the penalty decider.
For Leeds, Joël Piroe, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, and Longstaff successfully converted their penalties, whereas Birmingham saw Tommy Doyle’s attempt saved and Roberts miss by shooting over the goal.
Following a challenging first half for Leeds, Nmecha’s powerful goal shortly after play resumed appeared to secure their progression, yet Roberts’ late leveler extended the game into extra time.
Having previously defeated Derby 3-1, Leeds is now aiming to advance to the quarter-finals, a stage they haven’t reached since the 2002-03 season.
Birmingham nearly scored in the 11th minute when Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri brilliantly pushed Jay Stansfield’s rising shot onto the crossbar.
This week, the Blues announced that their chairman, Tom Wagner, was recovering from a stroke. Before the match, home supporters displayed a large ‘get well’ banner, and a minute of applause was held in the 13th minute to honor their American owner. Leeds also conveyed their well wishes through a message on X on Sunday morning.
Birmingham dominated Leeds for the initial 20 minutes, with Jhon Solis and Kai Wagner having shots saved by Perri, and captain Christoph Klarer’s header being blocked.
Perri prevented Birmingham from gaining a deserved advantage right before halftime, making another sprawling save to thwart Demarai Gray’s low effort.
Ethan Ampadu, Leeds’ captain, substituted the less effective Facundo Buonanotte at halftime, and the away team scored within four minutes of the second half commencing.
Nmecha dispossessed Klarer near the penalty box and the forward emphatically netted his seventh goal of the current campaign. This marked only Leeds’ second shot on target.
Birmingham launched a vigorous comeback, earning multiple corner kicks, with Stansfield shooting wide and August Priske’s attempt being intercepted.
Despite Ampadu’s strong presence, Leeds appeared more threatening in the latter half, yet Roberts managed to create a late leveling goal when his long-range shot found the net after a deflection off James Justin.
Calvert-Lewin, who came on for Nmecha, had his shot towards goal deflected high, and in a chaotic end to regulation time, Birmingham’s Ibrahim Osman struck the post with a low shot, while Kanya Fujimoto, another substitute, had his rebound attempt blocked.
Osman squandered another opportunity at the back post during the initial segment of extra time, simultaneously Piroe, Calvert-Lewin, and Ampadu all had scoring opportunities for Leeds in the subsequent period as the exhilarating cup match moved back and forth before being settled by a penalty shootout.
Wolves weather Grimsby’s challenge
Wolverhampton Wanderers endured a challenging, muddy encounter in Grimsby, securing their spot in the FA Cup fifth round with a single-goal victory.
The match was unappealing, but Santiago Bueno’s goal in the second half sufficed for the struggling Premier League team to defeat their League Two adversaries in decidedly unwelcoming conditions.
Earlier in the season, the Mariners had defeated Manchester United in the League Cup, and they were eager for another upset against a top-tier club.
Given Wolves’ current season difficulties, this victory would have been considered a less significant upset than their August triumph over United, and the perilous state of Blundell Park’s waterlogged pitch served as a considerable equalizer, preventing any high-quality play.
Nonetheless, Wolves overcame an early scare in the first half, ultimately taking command to secure their inclusion in the draw for the fifth round.
Fulham’s late goal triumphs over Stoke
Fulham progressed to the FA Cup fifth round, with Harrison Reed’s well-timed strike completing their 2-1 comeback victory against Championship side Stoke at the bet365 Stadium.
The Potters, who hadn’t secured a win since their prior round’s success against Coventry, registering three losses and three draws, began strongly against a Cottagers team that featured ten roster changes from their mid-week loss to Manchester City.
Bae Jun-ho, the South Korean midfielder, concluded an excellent play by giving Mark Robins’ squad the lead after 19 minutes, however, they were outmatched once their Premier League adversaries found their rhythm after halftime.
Brazilian winger Kevin was rewarded for his energetic display in the 55th minute, drilling a first-time shot into the bottom corner after dribbling in from the left, and a critical mistake by the home side proved costly with six minutes left to play.
After enduring sustained pressure, goalkeeper Tommy Simkin tried a short pass to Tatsuki Seko, who was caught off guard by Fulham’s temporary captain, Reed. Reed secured possession as Seko fell, calmly finished, and clinched the London club’s advancement to the subsequent round.
Sunderland advances following disputed penalty
Sunderland progressed to the FA Cup fifth round, an achievement not seen since 2015, thanks to Habib Diarra’s debatable first-half penalty, securing a 1-0 victory at Oxford.
The Championship team presented a formidable challenge on a pitch previously subjected to heavy rain, but the Kassam Stadium surface remained playable, as did Regis Le Bris’ Premier League visitors, who narrowly advanced due to a ruling that failed to persuade many of the home fans.
Dennis Cirkin gained the advantage when he fell within the penalty area following a challenge from Christ Makosso. Lacking VAR assistance, referee Thomas Kirk made a quick assessment, and Diarra capitalized to lead his team out of a challenging fixture.
