Ethan Ampadu's admission on Leeds United display vs Chelsea with 'lesson' and 'unbelievable' moment in game — YEP 26/4/26

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By Lee Sobot

Ethan Ampadu’s assessment of Leeds United’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea.

Whites captain Ethan Ampadu has given his assessment of Leeds United’s display in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea with an admission, lesson to learn and “unbelievable” moment take.

Club captain Ampadu helped Leeds to the club’s first FA Cup semi-final for 39 years but Sunday’s clash against Chelsea ended in a 1-0 defeat as a first-half header from Enzo Fernandez proved the only goal of the game.

Speaking post match to LUTV, Ampadu admitted his side were not good enough in the first half but with the feeling that United were much better after the interval and denied by an “unbelievable” save.

Midfielder Anton Stach made his comeback from injury as a half-time substitute and quickly threatened after the break with a piledriver strike from the edge of the box that Blues keeper Robert Sanchez beat away over the bar.

Ampadu thought Stach’s strike was going in but admits his men ultimately paid the price for their display in the first-half, something the skipper says his team will learn from for the final four games of the Premier League campaign.

"A tale of two halves,” said Ampadu.

"We weren't ourselves in the first half, weren't good enough, weren't up to the levels.

"And then when you play against a team who is top quality opposition they can find a moment to put the ball into the back of the net which is what they did.

"In the second half obviously we pushed as we will, we will give everything until the very end and we created some moments and played better in the second half but just didn't obviously get the equaliser.

"Of course and we go into every single game with that confidence that we can play and we can show our levels. It's football, sometimes that doesn't happen.

"I don't think it's anyone's fault, it's just a lesson learn to go into these next four."

Asked about Stach’s strike after the break and the Sanchez save, Ampadu said: “It was a great strike and I think when he hits it, everyone thinks it's a goal.

“But it's an unbelievable save and I think that showed the start to the second half that we wanted to put the pressure on and to get the equaliser.

“It's just unfortunate that we didn't."

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