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Birmingham City 1-1 Leeds United (P): Stocking up on tinfoil — Square Ball 17/2/26

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Up 4 the cup Words by: Chris McMenamy The last time Daniel Farke took Leeds United to St Andrew’s, he was only six weeks into his tenure and already looked worn out. Wilf Gnonto had gone on strike, relegation loan clauses kept popping up out of the woodwork and a weak Leeds side lost 1-0 to an injury-time penalty. Things are much better in LS11 right now, yet still Farke looked like he’d been through the ringer as Leeds held on for penalties against Championship side Birmingham City. There’s nothing quite like Leeds United to make you feel alive and angry on a sleepy Sunday lunchtime. The FA Cup fourth round is often where Leeds’ dreams of Wembley go to die — when they actually make it that far — so a trip to Birmingham failed to evoke any real emotion among the fanbase except the 5,500 travelling diehards. I was relatively relaxed about this game, happy to have a cup run but swearing I wouldn’t throw a tantrum if Leeds did what they tend to do in cup ties. Then Leeds decided t...
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Leeds United redemption, fitting reward, fringe problems and off-camera Birmingham City moments — YEP 16/2/26

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By Graham Smyth The YEP’s take on off-camera moments from Leeds United’s victory after penalties at Birmingham City. Leeds United's performance at Birmingham City was one to forget but there was at least an element of redemption as they made it through to the FA Cup fifth round. The Blues welcomed the Whites to St Andrew’s with aggression and endeavour and the Championship side can look back on this cup tie with a large amount of frustration and regret. A famous win was there for the taking thanks to the way they took the game to Daniel Farke's men. But if you don't take your chances it can come back to bite you, and it did in the penalty shootout. Here's the YEP take. Good day Lucas Perri The Brazilian's time in England so far has been difficult, to put it mildly. Roles have been dramatically reversed because not long ago Karl Darlow was the FA Cup keeper and Perri the main man. It's the other way around now, but Perri gave a much better account o...
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Leeds United mystery and bench time lies beyond Birmingham City struggle — Graham Smyth's FA Cup Verdict — YEP 16/2/26

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By Graham Smyth The Verdict on Leeds United’s huge FA Cup fright at Birmingham City in the face of six Whites changes is in. What lies beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup is a bit of a mystery to younger Leeds United fans, so long has it been that the Whites graced that stage of the competition. Not since 2003 have Leeds gone further than the fifth round and the evidence of their Premier League season so far, particularly at home, says there is no real reason why they cannot break that miserable streak. But if they are to turn a cup run into a real adventure there can be no repeat of the fourth round performance at Birmingham City because what lies beneath the first-choice team did not show up. Sean Longstaff's reaction to his tie-winning penalty at the end of a near-perfect shootout for the visitors was almost apologetic. While team-mates huddled around goalkeeper Lucas Perri and celebrated in front of the away end, the Premier League veteran simply turned and walked ...
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Leeds United boss Daniel Farke on FA Cup hero still needing to recover and Brighton loanee's torrid debut — YEP 15/2/26

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By Graham Smyth Daniel Farke saw his Leeds United side taken all the way to penalties before sealing FA Cup progression at Birmingham City. Leeds United boss Daniel Farke was delighted with Lucas Perri's role in an FA Cup win at Birmingham City but says the keeper still has some recovering to do after recent difficulties. Perri pulled off a superb first half save to keep the score 0-0 as Championship Birmingham put their Premier League visitors under the cosh. Lukas Nmecha's opener was cancelled out by a deflected Patrick Roberts strike in the 89th minute and after extra-time failed to separate the sides, Perri came up big in the shootout. The Brazilian, who according to team-mate Lukas Nmecha had difficulty reading the opposition shirt numbers as he prepared to face the opening two spot-kicks, was twice sent the wrong way. But he guessed right to palm away Tommy Doyle's effort and then Patrick Roberts missed entirely, leaving Sean Longstaff to put Leeds in the fi...
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Leeds United match-winner Lucas Perri addresses confidence after FA Cup heroics at Birmingham — YEP 15/2/26

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By Kyle Newbould Lucas Perri played his part in Leeds United’s thrilling FA Cup fourth-round win at Birmingham City. Leeds United’s match-winning goalkeeper Lucas Perri hopes to build on an impressive performance in Saturday’s FA Cup penalty-shootout victory over Birmingham City. Perri’s start to life at Leeds following his £16million move from Lyon has been mixed, with the Brazilian producing good saves but also falling guilty of some costly errors. Manager Daniel Farke publicly criticised the goalkeeper last month before replacing him as first-choice with Karl Darlow. An FA Cup trip to Birmingham offered Perri the chance to get back in the groove and with Leeds a long way from their best, he was regularly tested. A first-half save from Jay Stansfield was outstanding and there was little he could do when Patrick Roberts’ deflected strike cancelled out Lukas Nmecha’s opener. After a chaotic extra-time period, the game went to penalties and Perri contributed again, brilliantly...
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Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 1 (2-4 on penalties): Steady Sunday afternoon does not go to plan but Whites progress — Yorkshire Post 15/2/26

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By Stuart Rayner Leeds United planned to take it easy on their Sunday afternoon in the second city but ended up having to work overtime against Birmingham City, only reaching the FA Cup fifth round after a penalty shoot-out. But at least all the extra effort did not go to waste, with Joel Piroe, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sean Longstaff – all of whom missed spot kicks against Sheffield Wednesday when Leeds went out of the League Cup in August finding the net. With Lucas Perri saving from Tommy Doyle and Patrick Roberts clearing the crossbar either side of Brenden Aaronson scoring, the visitors won the shoot-out 4-2 after a 1-1 draw they only got because of Ibrahim Osman’s woeful finishing. Drawn against Championship opposition, the plan was to take it easy with some of those Leeds have leant on so heavily in this Premier League, but it was not how it played out. The tie was only the fifth club game Ampadu – a regular for Wales too – had not started this season. You often not...
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Birmingham 1-1 Leeds: Daniel Farke challenges his side to become club legends — Mail 15/2/26

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Birmingham 1-1 Leeds: Daniel Farke challenges his side to become club legends by winning the FA Cup after surviving a scare at St Andrews By TOM COLLOMOSSE This was a day to remember that plenty of officials can make correct decisions without needing to be hooked up to their mates in a TV booth 100 miles away. The pro-VAR lobby have been loud and proud this weekend following a series of dodgy calls made by referees, with the technology not deployed during the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup. Leeds United advanced to the fifth round here at the expense of Birmingham after the sides could not be separated during 120 thrilling minutes, mostly dominated by Blues. Against the run of play, Lukas Nmecha had given Leeds the lead early in the second half only for Patrick Roberts to force extra-time late on. With no further goals, Tommy Doyle and Roberts missed in the shoot-out and Leeds scored all four of their efforts to advance. They would also have been grateful for another pen...
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