Leeds United are set to travel to Pride Park to take on Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup as they look to book a deep cup run after crashing out of the EFL Cup early in the season.
The Whites are 16th in the Premier League table, and have an eight-point gap over teams in the relegation zone. They look well-placed to secure survival at the end of the season.
Daniel Farke will now have to shift his focus on FA Cup, and many are uncertain whether the Leeds manager is actually interested in taking his team to a deep cup run, as survival remains the priority.
The Leeds boss is expected to heavily rotate his squad today, and Chris Sutton has dropped a huge call on what is likely to happen at Pride Park later this afternoon.
Chris Sutton drops his Leeds United prediction for the FA Cup
Sutton praised Leeds for being excellent this season, and he has become a big fan of Farke and the way he has turned things around for the Whites.
However, he is expecting an upset today as he believes the Leeds manager will change his team a lot and Derby will take advantage of it at Pride Park.
The former striker insisted that Leeds cannot continue at the same intensity they have shown in the Premier League, as mostly squad players will take the pitch today.
Sutton said on BBC Sport: “Leeds have been terrific recently and, as regular readers will know, I am really pleased for their manager, Daniel Farke and how he has changed the narrative about his future.
“I can see Farke making plenty of changes here because, while he would love a cup run, he knows there is still work to do to keep his side in the Premier League.
“That’s why I am going for Derby to cause an upset. They are improving all the time under John Eustace, and while Leeds will be full of confidence off the back of the past few weeks, I am not sure they will maintain their intensity with a second-string side.”
Is the cup important for Leeds?
Leeds have either been looking to get promoted or survive in the Premier League over the last few seasons, and a deep cup run has become an afterthought.
The club are prioritising staying up again this season, and very few actually cared when they crashed out of the EFL Cup early this season.
| Season | FA Cup Exit | EFL Cup Exit |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | NA | Second round |
| 2024-25 | Fourth round | First round |
| 2023-24 | Fifth round | Second round |
| 2022-23 | Fifth round | Third round |
| 2021-22 | Third round | Fourth round |
Farke is expected to field a heavily rotated team later today, with the likes of Joel Piroe and Sebastiaan Bornauw expected to get a run out at Pride Park.
On paper, Leeds should beat Derby, but there will be a drop in intensity as most of the regular starters are not going to be on the pitch today.
Sutton may not be wrong in predicting a Derby win, and not many at Leeds would care if they crash out of the FA Cup. They could have entire weeks to prepare for league games for the rest of the season.
Fans may want a deep cup run, but for Leeds, staying up is the priority, and a deep cup run can only hinder that for a limited squad.
