Leeds United turned in a disappointing display as they were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 1–0 semi-final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday.
After the match, Ethan Ampadu admitted his side were “nervous” and fell short in the first half, which ultimately set the tone for their exit.
That honesty felt significant, especially given Leeds’ poor recent record at Wembley, and it showed in the way they approached the game.
However, Leeds had an early chance to take the lead when a beautiful passage of play sent Brenden Aaronson through on the goal. However, his shot was saved by a lunging Robert Sanchez to deny the Whites an early goal.
Brenden Aaronson opens up on his missed opportunity against Chelsea
The game could have been a lot different had Brenden Aaronson converted his chance and given an early lead to Leeds against Chelsea at Wembley.
However, Aaronson has admitted that he could not have done any better with that opportunity, despite the criticism of the missed opportunity.
He said he takes real pride in working on his finishing and felt confident about both the strike and where he placed it. Still, the American admitted Sánchez deserves credit for producing a superb save.
Aaronson told ESPN FC: “We had our chance in the first half.
“Of course, I, to be honest, thought it was a goal, and I couldn’t have done much better.
“But yeah, it was a great save.
“I have already watched it three times on my phone.
“I always want to see how I can get better at my finishing. I work on it a lot.
“I will watch it back, but I know, in that moment in time, I was confident over the ball.
“I knew where I wanted to put it and put it in the right spot, but sometimes you have to put your hands up to the goalkeeper.”
Premier League survival now on Leeds’ mind
Leeds United let a huge chance slip as they missed out on ending their 53-year wait for an FA Cup final, but there’s no time to dwell on it.
The weekend’s Premier League results mean they’re still not completely clear of the relegation battle, even if it would take a major collapse for them to go down from here.
A win against Burnley at Elland Road would go a long way toward securing safety, and just as importantly, help lift spirits after the disappointment at Wembley.
They could be without Gabriel Gudmundsson, who picked up a hamstring injury against Chelsea and is expected to be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks, if not more.
Even so, Daniel Farke will be hoping his side have enough to cope with the Swede’s absence during the run-in.
