Leeds United fans will be talking about this one for years. On April 5, 2026, at the London Stadium, Daniel Farke’s men clawed their way into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1987, outlasting West Ham United in a heart-stopping penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw that had everything: early dominance, a dramatic collapse, and a nerve-shredding finish. For Leeds, this wasn’t just another cup tie—it was a night where history, heartbreak, and heroics collided in spectacular fashion.
From the opening whistle, Leeds looked determined to seize their moment. The breakthrough came in the 26th minute, courtesy of a beautifully orchestrated move. Japan international Ao Tanaka launched a pass out to James Justin on the left, then darted into the box to meet Noah Okafor’s cross. With a clever twist, Tanaka left two West Ham defenders flailing before slotting a left-footed shot into the net. The ball took a deflection off Axel Disasi and ricocheted in off the crossbar—an opener worthy of such a grand occasion.
West Ham, perhaps distracted by their looming Premier League relegation battle, looked sluggish in the first half. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo had made five changes to his lineup, clearly prioritizing the upcoming clash with Wolves. Still, the Hammers nearly found an equalizer after the hour mark when Taty Castellanos met Adama Traore’s cross with a diving header, only for the ball to rattle the woodwork and bounce away.
Leeds doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. Max Kilman’s sliding challenge brought down Brenden Aaronson in the box, prompting a VAR review and a penalty. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the eighth different Leeds scorer in this season’s FA Cup, stepped up and coolly dispatched his spot-kick past Alphonse Areola. The Leeds faithful erupted, sensing that a semi-final berth was within their grasp.
But football, as ever, had other ideas. West Ham’s fightback began deep into stoppage time. In the 93rd minute, Jarrod Bowen’s shot clattered off the post and fell kindly for Mateus Fernandes, who tucked the rebound into an empty net. The home fans, many of whom had already started for the exits, rushed back to their seats.
Just four minutes later, the London Stadium exploded as Adama Traore’s in-swinging cross was met by Disasi, whose outstretched boot guided the ball home for the equalizer. Suddenly, a match that seemed all but lost for West Ham was alive and heading for extra time, with Leeds left reeling from the shock.
Extra time saw West Ham in the ascendancy, finding the net twice early on, only for both efforts to be ruled out for offside. Then came another twist: West Ham’s first-choice goalkeeper Areola pulled a muscle and couldn’t continue, forcing 20-year-old debutant Finlay Herrick into action just as penalties loomed. Herrick, who had been on loan at non-league Boreham Wood earlier in the season, was about to face the biggest moment of his young career.
The shootout started with drama. Herrick dived right to save Joel Piroe’s opening penalty, giving West Ham a glimmer of hope. But Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri, who would soon be the toast of Yorkshire, had other plans. Perri kept out Jarrod Bowen’s spot-kick—one he later revealed was the product of meticulous preparation. “The Bowen penalty was one that we studied a lot. The other ones I followed my own instinct,” Perri told BBC Match of the Day. “Happy to make the save with the first one using the data and the next ones was my gut feeling.”
Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, and Wilfried Gnonto all converted their penalties for Leeds, keeping the visitors in control. When Perri denied Pablo at 3-2, the stage was set for Pascal Struijk. The Dutch defender made no mistake, calmly slotting home the decisive penalty to send Leeds into the last four. Cue wild celebrations from the 9,000 traveling supporters, who had waited nearly four decades for a night like this.
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke couldn’t hide his pride afterward. “We never do it the easy way. We could have had it easier if we were more composed but it's the FA Cup quarter-final away tie and we expect the other team to give everything until the end. This is what happened. I'm pretty proud we were able to calm our nerves down after setbacks in the game,” Farke told BBC Sport. “I always trust my boys. It's always up to the players to deliver on the pitch and they did fantastically well to settle after this nervy period. We are not perfect, but we always play with desire and a great mentality and a great togetherness. By doing this we have this achievement today to be in the semi-final for the first time since the 1980s.”
For Leeds, this was a night of firsts and broken curses. The Whites had never before won two penalty shootouts in a single season, let alone in the FA Cup. Their last semi-final appearance was back in 1987, when they lost to eventual winners Coventry. They hadn’t progressed past a Premier League opponent in the competition as a top-flight side since beating Arsenal in the 1996-97 fourth round. And with Calvert-Lewin becoming their eighth different scorer in this year’s cup run, Leeds matched a feat not seen since the 1966-67 campaign.
West Ham, meanwhile, were left to rue what might have been. Their league troubles are mounting—they sit third-bottom, just one point behind Tottenham with seven games to play. Leeds, four points above the Hammers, will return to the London Stadium on the final day of the Premier League season for what could be a decisive relegation showdown.
As for the FA Cup, Leeds now face a daunting semi-final against Chelsea, a side brimming with top talent. “We will be the underdog, that's for sure,” Farke admitted. “It's a big name and a side full of top players. For that we are the underdog but we have written history. Nobody expected us to go though to the semi-final. And of course we are greedy to go to the next step.”
Manchester City will take on Southampton in the other semi-final, but for now, all eyes in Yorkshire are on Wembley. The ghosts of past defeats—three straight losses at the national stadium since their 1992 Charity Shield triumph—may linger, but this Leeds side, built on resilience and belief, has already defied the odds.
As Lucas Perri summed up, “This is the magic of the Cup, anything can happen and today was a crazy and memorable game. Happy that we won the match and we are into the semi-finals now.” For Leeds United, the dream lives on, and Wembley beckons once more.