Since Daniel Farke has been in charge of Leeds United, he has never really been interested in cup competitions. He rarely uses his first choice lineups and heavily rotates players.
He failed to reach the latter rounds with the Whites in his first two season in charge, but made the play-off final and won promotion to the Premier League. Leeds fans did not know what to expect heading into this season. When the club failed to beat Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL cup, it came as a shock, but fans quickly got over it.
| Round | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 3rd Round | Derby County |
| 4th Round | Birmingham City |
| 5th Round | Norwich City |
| Quarter-Final | West Ham United |
| Semi-Final | Chelsea |
Joe Cole makes huge claim about Leeds United
And in the third round tie against Derby County, Farke started a rotated team, giving chances to players like Wilfried Gnonto and Joel Piroe. They cruised past Derby, and later Birmingham City in the next round. After beating Norwich City, the Whites drew West Ham – their first Premier League opponent in the FA Cup draw this campaign.
Leeds United took the lead early in the game, with Ao Tanaka delivering. The match went on, with the Whites managing to hold on until late in the second half. That is when West Ham slowly came into the game; they got most of the ball and created some chances. A second goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin nearly killed the Hammers’ momentum, but they found the strength to score twice in three minutes to force extra time.
West Ham almost won in added time, but their goal was ruled out. The match went to penalties, where Lucas Perri was the key to secure the win. After the game, former Chelsea and West Ham man Joe Cole said the game was ‘the best’ FA Cup tie he had watched in years.
Daniel Farke can end the season on a high
Leeds now have an FA Cup semi final ahead of the end of the season. Many will have ruled the Whites out, thinking they cannot overcome another club to reach the final. Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have already dismissed the Whites’ chances ahead of the game. But Leeds are unbeaten against Chelsea this season in the two Premier League games – they comfortable beat the Blues at Elland Road, and got a point at Stamford Bridge. Despite the club battling relegation, Farke can see them end the season in style with a final at Wembley.
If you are going to say things lie ‘West Ham Legend’ then mention Joe Coal in a headline, you might want to actuall mention them or explain what it is that they have said in the text! There is no mention of Cole in anything other than the headline.