Leeds United delivered a commanding performance to defeat Norwich City 3-0 at Elland Road in the fifth round of the FA Cup, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.
Sean Longstaff, restored to the starting XI, opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Gabriel Gudmundsson doubled the advantage just before half-time to put Leeds firmly in control.
Daniel Farke’s side never really looked troubled after the break, managing the game comfortably, before Joel Piroe put the result beyond doubt with his first goal of the season to cap off a convincing victory.
Longstaff’s brilliant goal has been garnering headlines and leading to calls for him to return to the starting eleven in Premier League games as well.
Even Alan Shearer was left stunned by what he saw from the former Newcastle star in a Leeds shirt.
Alan Shearer is blown away by the Longstaff strike
Longstaff touched, swivelled and produced a brilliant shot on the volley to find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal to give Leeds the advantage in the first half.
Shearer, who is a big fan of the former Newcastle star, could not stop himself from mentioning the midfielder’s goal during the Rest Is Football podcast.
Former England striker Gary Lineker also admitted that it was a great goal, while Shearer marvelled at the quality of the turn and the finish from Longstaff.
“What about Longstaff’s goal, the touch and the finish?”, the Newcastle legend remarked.
“I know, what a goal that was”, Lineker added.
Shearer continued: “Bloody hell, that was amazing, I mean the touch, and for him to swivel round and then the volley, it was a fantastic finish, just superb.”
Longstaff has given Farke a selection headache
Longstaff’s performance has certainly strengthened his case for a return to the starting line-up in the Premier League, but it leaves Daniel Farke with a difficult decision over who to leave out.
Sean Longstaff – Leeds United Performance Stats| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 17 | 1 | 2 | 946 |
| FA Cup | 3 | 1 | 0 | 207 |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Total | 21 | 2 | 2 | 1,243 |
Ethan Ampadu remains an automatic pick in midfield, while Anton Stach’s physical presence and quality from set pieces make him an important part of the team.
That could leave Ilia Gruev as the player most at risk if Longstaff is to come back into the starting eleven for next Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
The Bulgarian was always likely to come under pressure if Longstaff impressed against Norwich City in the FA Cup, and that now appears to be the case.
Farke will have plenty to think about in the coming days before settling on his midfield for the visit to Selhurst Park at the weekend.
