Leeds United 0 Chelsea 1: Late-comers do not give themselves enough of a chance to reach FA Cup final — Yorkshire Post 26/4/26

By Stuart Rayner

LEEDS UNITED were 45 minutes late to their first FA Cup semi-final in 39 years. It cost them a first final in 53.

It was they, not club world champions Chelsea, who came into the game as the form side, but it took a half-time change of formation for them to look like it.

They were fortunate the match was still in the balance at that stage, but without the firepower their Champions League opponents can call upon, Enzo Fernandez's goal was still too much to overcome.

In the end they were far from disgraced, but they will be kicking themselves at their first-half sloppiness. Chances like this do not come around very often for them.

Their end a sea of yellow, Leeds comfortably won the pre-match battle on the terraces against under-manned opponents, but on the grass it was completely the opposite for the first 45 minutes.

Chelsea were good enough as to be an indictment of their lily-livered performances towards the end of Liam Rosenior's tenure. Not for the first time at Wembley, Leeds were unrecognisable.

Wearing blue socks as opposed to the yellow of the 1970 final between these sides, the way the Whites started actually gave hope, Noah Okafor winning a free-kick 20 yards out inside 30 seconds as Malo Gusto lay injured in the other half.

But when Ao Tanaka finally got to take the free-kick it was not worth the wait, his shot comfortably clearing the crossbar.

Chelsea's first effort of note came in the sixth minute and although Fernandez, restored to the captaincy Rosenior took off him, made firm contact, his shot was straight down the throat of cup goalkeeper Lucas Perri, the only change from the side which took four points at Manchester United and Bournemouth.

From there, Chelsea got on top.

Leeds were sitting off, so the inaccuracy of their passing was even more problematic.

Only Alejandro Garnacho's heavy touch let Leeds off as he sprang the offside trap.

Brenden Aaronson had a great chance on the counter, Dominic Calvert-Lewin helping on a Jayden Bogle pass, but the American's shot lacked conviction and Robert Sanchez stuck a right boot out to it.

Gusto beat the foot of Perri in the 22nd minute, but his shot hit the inside of the near post.

Pascal Struijk made a hash of a long ball a minute later and Chelsea pounced. Pedro Neto put in a good cross James Justin was admiring as Fernandez ran onto it to head in.

When a Tanaka pass was cut out on the half-hour, Neto hit a bouncing ball just beyond the far post.

Even when Struijk's harrying up the field was a success, Noah Okafor's shot from the ball Joao Pedro gave up was blocked. The Swiss shot wildly when a long throw-in fell to him in the 43rd minute.

Both wing-backs were untidy. Gabriel Gudmundsson was fortunate Neto was unable to take advantage when he gave the ball away cheaply but at least he was able to make amends after giving the ball up cheaply in the 36th minute.

A change of plan transformed Leeds in the second half.

Anton Stach and Joe Rodon came on as Leeds switched to a 4-3-3 and they instantly looked better as both the midfield two and the wing-back suddenly had some support.

Stach was a minute into his first outing since injuring his ankle in the quarter-finals when he forced Sanchez’s toughest save, tipping a long-range effort over. A backheeled one-two from the German went out, but showed new confidence.

Ampadu made a good tackle as Neto threatened to bundle a goal in.

Calvert-Lewin’s header from a cross by Okafor – now playing wide rather than narrow – did not test Sanchez as much as it ought to have, but gave further encouragement to the end Leeds were attacking.

When Moses Caicedo bundled Stach over in the 59th minute, Sanchez's decision to take a sit-down and demand treatment only whipped the fans up more. Stach tried to catch him out from the free-kick when play eventually resumed, but missed the target.

For all the improvement, though, Leeds were still lacking end product.

Not since Eric Cantona in 1992 have they scored at Wembley, and it never really felt on the cards here.

Tanaka waited patiently for the ball to come down, but his volley wide was weak. Stach shot over after good work by fellow substitute Lukas Nmecha.

When Sean Longstaff dinked a free-kick to Calvert-Lewin in the last few minutes, the striker let it run away from him.

Bogle was lucky on to be yellow carded for throwing an arm back in response to Neto trying to pull the shirt off his back in stoppage time.

Gudmundsson's hamstring added injury to insult as he limped about late on with all Leeds' substitutes on.

Manager Daniel Farke said throughout this run Leeds lifting the trophy for only the second time in their history was unlikely, but they should be frustrated they did not give themselves a better chance.