Leeds United are through to the semifinals of the FA Cup for the first time in 39 years after Daniel Farke’s side topped West Ham 4-2 in a penalty shootout, after having earlier blown a 2-0 lead in stoppage time.
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Ao Tanaka put the visitors ahead in the 26th minute and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made it 2-0 in the 75th, seemingly sending Leeds on their merry way to Wembley. Alas, nothing was straightforward in east London on Sunday, as Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi scored in the 93rd and 96th minutes to pull the Hammers level.
Still, there was more drama to come in extra time, when West Ham had a pair of goals ruled out for offside — first it was Taty Castellanos in the 91st, and then Pablo in the 102nd — while goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and defender Kyle-Walker Peters combined for a desperate goal-line clearance in between, in the 94th.
Areola would have to come off injured late in extra time, thus handing a first-team debut to 20-year-old Fin Herrick with a penalty shootout barely five minutes away and West Ham hoping end a 20-year FA Cup semifinal drought of their own.
Herrick faced his first shot in the first round of the shootout and saved Joel Piroe’s effort from the spot, but it was the last stop he would make as Leeds went on to score four straight (one off Herrick’s hands and off on the inside of the post). Jarrod Bowen and Pablo were both denied by Lucas Perri.
These full-time scenes 🤩 @LUFC are off to Wembley! 🏆#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/YXvmi2gOCE
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 5, 2026
West Ham vs Leeds United final score: 2-2 (2-4 PKs)
Ao Tanaka 26', Dominic Calvert-Lewin pen 75', Mateus Fernandes 90+3', Axel Disasi 90+6'
Penalty shootout
West Ham (2)
Made: Kyle Walker-Peters, Tomas Soucek
Missed: Jarrod Bowen, Pablo
Leeds (4)
Made: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto, Pascal Struijk
Missed: Joel Piroe
Penalties!
20-year-old Fin Herrick is in goal, making his first-team debut for West Ham, after Alphonse Areola was injured deep in stoppage time. And, would you believe it, he’s saved the first one, from Joel Piroe.
With minutes left of extra-time and the scores level, Fin Herrick is on to make his debut for his boyhood club 💜
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 5, 2026
📺 @footballontnt and @SportsonMax pic.twitter.com/8RwLXIEwsq
Subs
Oliver Scarles and Mohamadou Kante enter the game for Castellanos and Malick Diouf.
For Leeds, Joel Piroe comes in for Jayden Bogle.
End of first period extra time — West Ham 2-2 Leeds United
Traore’s played 105 minutes plus at least 14 more of combined stoppage but you wouldn’t know it — he’s been all over the pitch.
Kyle Walker-Peters, however, looks gassed as he takes a yellow card for tugging Gnonto and conceding a free kick before the end of the first period of extra time.
It’s a terrible attempt and we take a pause in East London.
Pablo Felipe offside goal
It’s been all West Ham and Bowen smacks the cross bar before Pablo Felipe bags the rebound but the forward is a mile offside.
Perri stands tall
West Ham again look to go in front with a clever set-up from Fernandes to Castellanos, but the ball is blocked by the head and then shoulder of Perri at close range.
2-2, 100'.
Taty Castellanos offside goal to start extra time
Perri comes out to head a long ball away from Taty Castellanos but just awkwardly pops it askew.
The forward gets the ball over the goal ahead of Pascal Struijk’s sliding clearance but VAR finds him offside.
Axel Disasi goal — West Ham 2-2 Leeds United
The comeback is very real!
Traore works to serve a ball into the box and Axel Disasi does well to redirect it over the line.
Mateus Fernandes goal — West Ham 1-2 Leeds United
The ex-Saints man gets on the score sheet in the third of what’s set to be 11 minutes stoppage time.
Traore’s pass to Jarrod Bowen is put off the post but Fernandes pushes home the rebound.
Will West Ham find a miracle finish to force extra time?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty goal — West Ham 0-2 Leeds United
That seems likely to do it, as Calvert-Lewin chooses left and beats Areola to double the Leeds advantage.
Leeds get their penalty
This time it’s USMNT man Aaronson getting into the box, and Kilman’s challenge may not escape discipline as VAR will have a look.
Leeds make a triple move
Out go Tanaka, Lukas Nmecha, and Okafor for Wilfried Gnonto, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Ilia Gruev in the 70th minute.
Will Leeds keept their lead?
Castellanos close again
The ex-NYCFC man flies lays out for an Adama Traore cross and.... puts it off the post.
He’s been dangerous, but West Ham still trail in London.
Leeds make a change
Joe Rodon is hurt, and he can’t continue as Leeds suffer a second injury to a regular.
It’s Seabstiaan Bournauw into the game at the back.
Leeds up one, now into the 57th minute.
West Ham subs
Two moves at the break from Nuno Espirito Santo, with Pablo Felipe and Tomas Soucek replacing Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts.
Halftime — West Ham 0-1 Leeds United
This has been an even-enough game but Leeds have done a bit better at getting their shots on target.
Anton Stach injury
One of the best playmakers of this Premier League season is off before halftime, as Anton Stach takes a knock from Max Kilman while taking a shot.
It’s a tough look and came after Stach got the ball off his foot. Leeds want a penalty.
Stach tries to play through the injury but cannot go on, exiting for USMNT man Brenden Aaronson.
Ao Tanaka goal — West Ham 0-1 Leeds
Okafor gets the assist as Tanaka’s shot deflects and defies Areola. Leeds are in front.
And at the other end, Perri
It’s Leeds’ keeper’s turn, as Jarrod Bowen hits Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos and forces Lucas Perri into a low save to keep things scoreless in the seventh minute.
Lucas Perri with a reactive stop from close-range for @LUFC 😲
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 5, 2026
📺 @footballontnt and @SportsonMax pic.twitter.com/SGviTLotzo
Early chance for Leeds
Noah Okafor looks for the lower corner in the second minute, and it takes a good save from Alphonse Areola to keep a zero on the board.
West Ham lineup
Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Disasi, Diouf, Potts, Magassa, Fernandes, Bowen, Traore, Castellanos
Leeds lineup
Perri, Bogle, Justin, Struijk, Rodon, Bijol, Ampadu, Stach, Tanaka, Okafor, Nmecha
West Ham vs Leeds preview — by Joe Prince-Wright
West Ham host Leeds on Sunday in a very tasty FA Cup quarterfinal between two teams scrapping to stay in the Premier League. But that relegation scrap will take a backseat for at least one weekend as a place in the FA Cup semifinal is on the line.
Nuno Espirito Santo has done a really good job since taking over at West Ham but they are still in the relegation zone with seven games of the season to go and are one point from safety. The FA Cup has been a nice distraction for the Hammers and they last reached the semifinals when they were runners up back in 2006.
Leeds sit just four points above West Ham in the table as Daniel Farke’s side have become more solid but have struggled to secure wins in recent weeks as their excellent form around the festive season has dipped a little. Leeds haven’t reached the FA Cup semifinals since 1987, which is an extremely long time for a club of their size.
West Ham team news, focus
Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysensio Summerville both have late fitness tests and are key to West Ham. Especially the latter, with the Dutch winger crucial to their threat on the counter attack. Mateus Fernandes has been excellent in midfield and Jarrod Bowen remains West Ham’s talisman and sets the tone for their press and how they pounce and break quickly. A 3-4-3 formation seems to suit this West Ham squad extremely well.
Leeds team news, focus
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a doubt with a hamstring problem, which is a big blow for Leeds, and fellow forward Noah Okfaor is definitely out. Anton Stach should be fit and Gabriel Gudmundsson (fresh from playing a big role in Sweden’s World Cup qualification via the playoffs) is available after suspension. All of that means that Lukas Nmecha is likely to start up front with USMNT playmaker Brenden Aaronson supporting him in a 3-5-1-1 formation
West Ham vs Leeds prediction
This is going to be tight and tense and is very likely to go to extra time and penalty kicks. Leeds will edge it. West Ham 1-2 Leeds.
How to watch West Ham vs Leeds live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday (April 5)
Venue: London Stadium — East London
TV Channel/Streaming: ESPN 2, ESPN+
