The Stats Behind Leeds’ FA Cup Victory Over West Ham, Marking Their First Wembley Trip in 39 Years

With a coveted spot in the semi-final at Wembley up for grabs, the Whites were eager to break a long drought, having last reached this stage of the tournament 39 years ago when they were narrowly defeated 3-2 by Coventry at Hillsborough in 1987.

Leeds finds their rhythm early

In contrast, West Ham had enjoyed more recent excursions to the national stadium, but manager Nuno Espirito Santo must have recognised the need for an improved performance to secure their place in the last four.

In their previous FA Cup encounter, West Ham triumphed over Brentford via penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw, but their recent form had been lacklustre, failing to win in their last three matches across competitions.

Having previously defeated the Hammers at Elland Road this season, Daniel Farke’s squad approached the match with clear confidence, evident from their early activities.

In the opening minutes, both Noah Okafor and Ethan Ampadu took shots, while Anton Stach fired a long-range attempt that drifted wide of the mark shortly after.

Outstanding goal from Tanaka

Leeds dominated possession early on, with a staggering 67% in the first 15 minutes and continued to press the Irons, particularly through Ao Tanaka.

It was Tanaka, wearing the No. 22 jersey, who broke the deadlock with an exquisite display of skill inside the box following a precise cross from Okafor.

Having scored first in the FA Cup, Leeds had not lost a tie in over two years, with their last defeat being a 2-3 loss to Chelsea on February 28, 2024.

The Hammers were clear in their strategy, with Adama Traore winning a remarkable eight out of 11 one-on-one duels before he was substituted in the latter stages of the match.

Regardless, the visitors handled the wide threat well, limiting Traore to only three touches in Leeds’ box and just one shot off target in the 37th minute—only the second attempt from the hosts after Jarrod Bowen’s effort in the 13th minute.

Pressure mounts on the Hammers

Farke’s men maintained their onslaught, with James Justin and Jayden Bogle both touching the ball six times inside West Ham’s area, as Leeds continued to push forward at every possible opportunity.

Stach led the way before half-time with three shots, more than any other player on the pitch, which hinted that unless the momentum shifted, a second goal for the visitors seemed inevitable.

Kyle Walker-Peters had already made four successful tackles prior to half-time and attempted two more immediately after the interval as Leeds once again seized the initiative.

Pascal Struijk’s ability to circulate the ball was impressive, boasting an 82.5% pass success rate, which consistently placed him in a position to find teammates.

Second Leeds goal triggers mass departure

With Tanaka’s exceptional 91.1% success rate, the Leeds side appeared baffled not to capitalise more on their opportunities.

Surprisingly, as the encounter neared the 60-minute mark, it was West Ham who surged forward, with Taty Castellanos striking the woodwork and coming close on two additional occasions, alongside Bowen and Axel Disasi also having their efforts thwarted.

Max Kilman, a standout performer in defence for the hosts, was adjudged to have committed a foul with 20 minutes left, resulting in a penalty awarded to Leeds following a VAR review of his challenge on Brenden Aaronson.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up and coolly converted the spot-kick, notching his first FA Cup goal in five years, prompting a sea of home fans to leave the stands in frustration.

However, they would come to regret their early exit.

Desperate times for West Ham

Despite Leeds taking six attempts on goal in the final quarter-hour, West Ham’s controlled possession of 79% offered them a platform for an unlikely comeback.

In injury time, Bowen struck the post, allowing Matheus Fernandes to tap in the rebound, reducing the deficit before Disasi’s acrobatic goal in stoppage time levelled the scores and sent the match into extra-time.

Ampadu and Aaronson were battling hard to hold the line, engaging in 37 one-on-one duels together; however, persistent ball loss meant the pressure only relented when Craig Pawson signalled the end of normal time.

West Ham had six shots during extra-time, including disallowed goals and another shot from Bowen crashing against the woodwork, alongside an injury to goalkeeper Alphonse Areola that forced his substitution, suggesting it might not be their day.

Although Areola’s replacement, Finlay Herrick, managed to save Joel Piroe’s penalty during the shoot-out, Lucas Perri then dove low to deny Bowen’s effort.

Ultimately, with Pablo’s missed spot-kick for West Ham, it fell to Struijk to seal the deal, fiercely driving his shot in off the post to send Leeds through to the next round.