adminLeeds United booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Goals from Ao Tanaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, either side of half-time, had Leeds seemingly cruising toward Wembley. However, the game took a stunning turn late on. Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi struck in the 93rd and 96th minutes to level the score and force extra time.
During extra time, West Ham had two goals ruled out for offside, but neither side could find a decisive breakthrough, sending the tie to penalties. Misses from Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals proved costly, and it was Pascal Struijk who stepped up to convert the winning spot-kick and send Leeds to Wembley.
Perri’s performance revives his Leeds future
It has been a difficult campaign for Lucas Perri, who arrived from Lyon last summer for £13.9 million as Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper. His struggles in the Premier League saw him lose his place to Karl Darlow in recent weeks, casting doubt over his future at Elland Road.
However, his display against West Ham may have reignited his Leeds career. Aside from a minor error involving an offside goal by Taty Castellanos, Perri delivered an outstanding performance. He produced a superb early save to deny Castellanos and later became the hero in the shootout, saving penalties from Bowen and Fornals.
His performance has now handed manager Daniel Farke a selection dilemma, with a genuine battle emerging between Perri and Darlow for the number-one spot heading into the remainder of the season and beyond.
Piroe’s struggles raise summer questions
While Perri enhanced his standing, Joel Piroe endured a difficult outing that could impact his future at the club.
Coming off the bench, the forward nearly became the fall guy, missing a penalty that was comfortably saved by young West Ham goalkeeper Finlay Herrick—the only Leeds player to fail from the spot. He also squandered a promising counter-attack in extra time after stumbling and losing possession under minimal pressure.
Piroe struggled to make any real impact, losing all of his duels and offering little attacking threat. With just seven touches and three completed passes, his contribution was minimal, further highlighting a difficult season.
His only goal of the campaign came earlier in the FA Cup against Norwich City, and he has otherwise failed to deliver in the Premier League. His inability to adapt since Leeds’ promotion has raised serious concerns, and this latest performance may push him closer to a summer exit as the club reassesses its attacking options.
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