Leeds United in the FA Cup: How far can the Whites realistically go this season? | OneFootball

Leeds United will put their Premier League relegation battle on hold this weekend as they turn their attention to the FA Cup.

The Whites are gearing up for a tricky fifth-round clash against former acquaintances Norwich City at Elland Road on Sunday evening.

Daniel Farke’s side made light work of Premier League promotion hopefuls Derby County in the third round, claiming a comprehensive 3-1 victory at Pride Park Stadium.

However, they were handed a scare in the fourth round against Birmingham City at St Andrews.

Lukas Nmecha seemed to have sent Leeds to the next round after breaking the deadlock just four minutes into the second half.

However, a last-minute goal from Patrick Roberts took the game to penalty shoot-outs, although Leeds ultimately came out on top with a 4-2 victory.

Sunday’s outing will be the first time Leeds are hosting an FA Cup fixture at home this season, although Norwich will also be the third consecutive Championship side they’ll face in the tournament.

Leeds United’s FA Cup record

For a club with such a proud history, Leeds’ relationship with the FA Cup has been strangely quiet for almost three decades.

The Whites have reached the quarter-finals only once in the past 28 years.

One of the competition’s most painful moments came in 2003, when defeat to Sheffield United ultimately cost manager Terry Venables his job.

That pales in comparison to the glory days of the Don Revie era.

During that time, Leeds were regular visitors to Wembley Stadium and reached four FA Cup finals between 1965 and 1973. They lifted the famous trophy in 1972 for the only time in their history.

Meanwhile, Leeds haven’t reached the FA Cup semi-final in nearly four decades. They last reached the last four in 1987, when they lost to eventual winners Coventry City.

Leeds have other priorities this season.

After losing back-to-back games against Manchester City and Sunderland and failing to win any of their last four league games, Leeds are just three points above the relegation zone.

Surviving a quick return to the Championship is at the top of their to-do list, but their FA Cup bracket has given them a reason to take the tournament seriously.

Leeds have not celebrated a Wembley win since the 1992 Charity Shield, when Eric Cantona scored a hat-trick against Liverpool.

Perhaps this could finally be the season they change that.

How far can Leeds realistically go?

Leeds can have a real go in the FA Cup this season and improve their awful recent record in the competition.

Norwich may cause Leeds problems if Farke decides to rest key players. Otherwise, Leeds’ impressive record against the Canaries suggests this fixture should be a mere formality.

The Whites are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Norwich in both the Championship and the Premier League (W6, D2).

They also claimed a 2-0 win the last time both teams locked horns, with Manor Solomon and Daniel James scoring on either side of half-time.

If Leeds beat Norwich, they’ll likely meet Chelsea in the quarter-final, with the Blues expected to make light work of Premier League promotion hopefuls Wrexham.

Leeds have already taken four points from the Blues in the Premier League this season, winning 3-1 at Elland Road and coming from behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

If they can repeat that performance in the FA Cup, they’ll have a decent chance of reaching the semi-final, where they’ll face one of West Ham United, Brentford, Port Vale, or Sunderland.

Leeds will back themselves to secure a win against any of those teams, making a run to the showpiece at Wembley a realistic target, assuming their survival battle doesn’t get in the way.