Leeds United cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Norwich City at Elland Road in the fifth round of the FA Cup, booking their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.
Sean Longstaff marked his return to the starting line-up with the opening goal in the 32nd minute, before Gabriel Gudmundsson doubled Leeds’ advantage just before half-time.
The Whites remained firmly in control after the break, keeping Norwich at arm’s length, and Joel Piroe put the result beyond doubt with his first goal of the season in the second half to seal the 3-0 victory.
Norwich City came into the game on the back of winning 10 of their last 13 games in all competitions. However, Philippe Clement conceded that Leeds showed them their true level.
Philippe Clement gets brutally honest about defeat at Elland Road
The Norwich City boss conceded that it was a hard game for many of his young players as they were playing against a quality Premier League side for the first time.
However, he feels his side were much better in the second half and created some good chances at Elland Road.
Clement believes his side have come a long way from the time he took charge of the team and will definitely learn from their mistakes against Leeds.
Clement said on TNT Sports: “There were ups and downs. For a lot of the guys, it was the first time they played at this level.
“It was difficult to adapt to the intensity. In the second half, we played much better, creating opportunities.
“It is a very young squad, three months ago they were playing relegation football in the Championship, and I am convinced they will improve from this. It is part of the journey they have to take to get to this level where they want to be.”
Can Leeds win the FA Cup?
Paul Robinson has urged Leeds to prioritise winning the FA Cup, despite their current focus on surviving in the Premier League.
Back-to-back defeats in the Premier League have suddenly dragged Leeds United deeper into the relegation battle, leaving them just three points clear of the bottom three.
Avoiding the drop remains the club’s top priority, especially considering the financial consequences that come with relegation from the Premier League.
That said, if Leeds receive a favourable draw and manage to reach the semi-finals, they would have a genuine opportunity to push for FA Cup glory.
The question is whether the players can afford to let their focus drift from the survival fight to the possibility of lifting the FA Cup for the first time since 1972.
Ideally, the Whites will secure their Premier League status sooner rather than later. If they can create some breathing space in the league, it would allow them to fully chase the cup and potentially give the fans a memorable moment to end the season.
