FA CupWest Ham United 2-2 Leeds United
Sunday, 5th April 2026
by Chris Wilkerson | Forum match thread
In the cruellest of manners, football gave and then football took away as West Ham United and Leeds United were forced all the way to penalties, only for the away team to take all the glory and the spoils with a 4-2 penalty victory.
Over two hours of tense, exciting and dramatic football saw another tie go to penalties for West Ham, but it was a bridge too far this time as their FA Cup dream was ended. A 2-2 draw in 90-plus minutes was followed by a breathless period of extra-time, only for Leeds to come up trumps 4-2 in the shootout to book their place in a Wembley FA Cup semi-final.Leeds may have been goal-shy lately, but looked to be making their way to a routine 2-0 victory, before the home side came to life. Whatever else this Nuno side is, it's one with some fight. They appeared all but dead on their feet, yet The Hammers somehow found two stoppage-time goals to force another FA Cup tie into extra-time.
The manager made five changes, and was forced to give the much-maligned Max Kilman a start as both Todibo and Mavropanos struggled to prove their fitness. He was joined by Areola, Walker-Peters, Magassa and Traore in the starting line-up, with the captain Bowen out on the left wing for the first time.
The visitors went strong, but Calvert-Lewin was a notable absence, unleashed only in the second half. Still, it was Leeds who had the better of the first half, starting on the front foot and nearly scoring inside the opening two minutes.
A long throw looped into the box was partially cleared, but only to the edge of the box. Okafor controlled well and curled an effort low towards the bottom corner, only to see Areola at full stretch to his left to flick the effort wide having somehow tracked it through bodies in the area. It was a phenomenal stop, especially so early in the game.
West Ham looked ragged, with loose touches and poor passes gifting back possession to the away side. There was a scare as Areola received possession under pressure near his own goalline, having to smash the ball off the pitch to save himself, and Leeds had sensed the anxiety in their opponents.
But with West Ham looking shaky, they then forced a fantastic save from the Leeds goalkeeper. Bowen made it down the left of the area and drove a low ball across the face of goal, which was poked forward by Castellanos, only for Perri to throw out his left hand to make a point-blank save that matched Areola.
It was The Hammers threatening goal again next, Traore spinning a defender in his own half and flying forward in trademark fashion, beating another and then rolling it to the wide left of the area for Bowen. He took a hit first-time, and found Perri was a match to it once more, palming wide to his left down low.
The game settled down, and the pattern was one of Leeds control, keeping the ball and about 70% of possession as West Ham sat too deep and allowed them to play. And it was just past 25 minutes when they made that possession worth something. Tanaka got onto a loose ball in midfield and sprayed a wonderful pass out left.
Justin flew forward and then combined with Okafor, the forward passing into the box to find Tanaka had made a great run into the area. He controlled and showed great footwork to spin and throw Magassa the wrong way, making space for the shot. He hit low, but the ball bounced off the knee of Disasi, into the ground, and spat up at goal, looping over Areola and into the West Ham net.
It was a symptom of the lack of pressure West Ham had put Leeds under in possession, and it took 40 minutes before they started to press higher and snap into some tackles in the Leeds half.
Areola was forced into a good save from a Leeds break, Potts sliding into a challenge in midfield but only poking it into his own half and the path of Okafor, who strode forward with only Disasi in front of him.
He saw Stach flying forward to his right and rolled it in front of the German midfielder, but his strike was too close to Areola, who reacted well to push the effort wide. Kilman may have been a little lucky to see his follow-through slide on Stach not punished with a penalty, his luck running out later in the game.
Traore maybe could have done better with a decent Kilman cross, and Castellanos made a shot for himself well when hitting an effort on the spin as he controlled with his back to goal, but there was very little from West Ham and they went in a goal down at half-time.
The manager reacted to his side's somewhat lacklustre showing, Soucek and Pablo called off the bench to replace Potts and Magassa. He also swapped Bowen and Traore, getting the captain back to the right wing as the team reverted back to the 4-4-2 shape that was seen for most of the upturn of form since QPR in January.
Rodon was forced off injured in the early stages, their second injury substitution of the game after the influential Stach was withdrawn in the first half. Even more than the impact it may have had on the game today, Leeds will be praying two pivotal figures only left the field with precaution in mind.
It was a scrappy start as West Ham tried to find some rhythm and Leeds tried to find their balance against the home side's change in system. On the hour mark, West Ham finally started to come alive.
A Castellanos effort was a bit wild and well wide after Bowen chased a through ball to the byline, pulling it back for the Argentine, only to see it wasted.
Two minutes later, the striker could hardly have done more to score, only to see his effort strike the post. A cross from Traore is curled to the far post and Castellanos met the bouncing ball with a diving header. Perri was beaten, frozen to the spot, and could only watch with everyone else as it cannoned back off the post and away to safety.
Suddenly, it was all West Ham, and the home side were flying. Farke quickly turned to his bench, bringing on attacking reinforcements to try stop the ball coming back at his defence again and again. To his credit, his changes did exactly what he wanted, and looked like they may well have won his team the game.
Aaronson, a first-half substitute, picked up possession outside the box and got his head down to drive forward. He burst into the area, and Kilman made a lunge. He came away with the ball, but the appeals were loud, and the referee was forced to his VAR screen as the play stopped.
The replays were relatively clear. As he has done many times now, the centre back was reckless in his challenge, going over the ball and taking the Leeds midfielder out.
Calvert-Lewin, only on the field for barely five minutes, stepped up and fired a penalty low into the bottom corner, Areola sent the wrong way as Calvert-Lewin must have thought he'd sent his team to Wembley.
The stadium started to empty, West Ham's spirit completely deflated as the 90 minutes faded away. But then, in stoppage time, The Hammers roared into life.
Three minutes into the added time, a poor cross from Traore was recovered on the far side of the area by Bowen. He took it away from goal, but curved his run to then bend a shot towards the far corner, beating Perri, only to see his effort smack off the post.
His disappointment lasted a second at most, Fernandes following in and controlling perfectly, before smashing the ball into the empty net to give his side a chance. Three minutes later, they'd pulled level.
With many fans now gathered by the stairs, some caught on the way out by the first West Ham goal, the home side punished those who had left early by finding more drama and promising another half an hour of football.
This time, Traore did everything right, bending a ball into the area as three Leeds defenders stood off him. It curled between two defenders and found Disasi ghosting into the box, the centre back throwing a leg forward and poking it back across goal, into the corner and sending the stadium into raptures as the loanee got a first West Ham goal and changed the complexion of the afternoon.
He may have been a little lucky to get away with it, his studs catching the defender's hair at the very least, but cleared by VAR. Out of nowhere, it was West Ham who looked the likely winners.
11 minutes of stoppage time was played, and the sides, both with so much still to play for in the league this season, were forced into another thirty minutes as the game ended level. By the end of the day, they'd played well over two hours of football. With some Leeds injuries thrown in, Spurs and Forest fans will have been celebrating every second of it, and Wolves the same with a Friday night game to come against the Hammers.
Within two minutes of starting again, West Ham looked like they had taken the lead. Diouf curled a ball from the left back position in behind the high line of the Leeds defence, and Castellanos set off after it. The goalkeeper looked favourite, but as it took a looping bounce outside the box, suddenly he was no longer sure he'd be able to gather in his own area.
Panicked, the goalkeeper jumped out to head it away, but his late decision left him in a mess, and he could only flick it behind him, and wide of the area.
The Argentine striker was on it in a flash, and did incredibly well to volley it at goal, the ball bearing the despairing dive of the defender as Castellanos wheeled away in celebration. Only then did the flag go up, and replays showed it was the correct decision as the forward had been too lackadaisical in getting back onside, most of his body beyond the last defender.
Straight down the other end after the check, Leeds could hardly come closer as Soucek and Areola combined to block a goal bound effort from James Justin. Walker-Peters had done well to backheel a dangerous ball away at the far post, but it fell to Justin about 10 yards out.
The low drive at goal was partially blocked by Areola, but would have likely kept going into the goal behind him if it wasn't for Soucek covering.
Fernandes made a great run down the right to create an opening for Castellanos, but the deflected pass bounced up, giving Perri time to close down and then make a great save as he spread himself and used a bit of shoulder and a bit of his head to block the effort.
Pablo then put the ball in the back of the net, a lovely move from Castellanos and Bowen resulting in the captain smacking the post with a powerful hit some 20 yards out, but the rebound was steered home by Pablo from an offside position.
There was still time before the break for Diouf to get excited and slice a shot wide after Traore had done well to make space in midfield and create the opportunity, but half-time in extra-time brought changes as legs started to fail.
Castellanos and Diouf were removed, with Kante and Scarles replacing them. The young French midfielder became his side's key threat, bulldozing through players and causing a nuisance with his fresh legs, but lacked the finesse to make much of it.
Time seemed to be running out, and when Areola needed treatment for five minutes, all the life drained out of the game, as if the stoppage was enough to see any adrenaline drain from their bodies. Tiredness was now clear.
It did give a chance for young Finlay Herrick to make his West Ham debut, Areola unable to continue. From starting the season on loan at Borehamwood, the twenty-year-old was thrust into the biggest game of his fledgling career.
Traore's legs gave in at the end of another five minutes of stoppage time, having barely completed more than a half before this game, and penalties beckoned as the final whistle blew.
The unlikely hero story looked like it might well be on as Herrick dived to his right and saved the first Leeds penalty, but Piroe's miss was the only Leeds failure. Unfortunately, an anxious looking Bowen hit a timid penalty, soft and nowhere near into the corner as Perri made the save.
Herrick got a hand on Leeds's fourth, but penalties from Walker-Peters and Soucek were followed by a two-step run-up and miss from Pablo, and as Struijk found the inside of the post with their fifth penalty, the semi-final was theirs.
One hell of an effort, and not the first time The Hammers have seen an enthralling FA Cup game end in penalty heartache. Both sides played the game with intent to win, never really looking like this was a mere distraction from the Premier League, and it made for a fantastic tie.
It was heartbreak this time, but they will not be left wondering what may have been. They gave everything, but the lottery was lost this time.
Manager's Rating
Nuno Espirito Santo 6/10 Criticisms of his starting lineup aren't unfair, but it is hard to know the condition of those who came back from international football. His job was made far harder by the absence of Todibo and Mavropanos, but he may have to look at whether Magassa and Myers are better options than Kilman, as the former Wolves man is a shell of what he was. His changes worked, but both half time subs probably should have started, whilst it may be questioned whether he could have left Castellanos on just to have a confident penalty taker on the pitch.
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Click to view all West Ham United vs Leeds United match reports Click to view all match reports by Chris Wilkerson Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.Player Ratings
Alphonse AreolaThe save in the opening minutes was fantastic, and he had a decent game after. The first goal was unfortunate, the deflection catching him out as he set for the shot itself, and the penalty was well taken.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Defended well, with one vital intervention late on as Gnonto looked like he would race in on goal. His defending is usually decent, but he does lack dynamism in the attack. He looks like a player made for more intricate teams who use possession for quick short passes, and this side is built for bursts at pace that either take the player into the box or create space for crosses.
El Hadji Malick Diouf
Combative in defence, with a couple very good and important challenges, whilst showing a decent understanding with Traore when the winger moved to his side. Some of his crosses were phenomenal, but found no reward. Whilst Fernandes gets a lot of the attention, losing Diouf after relegation would be another huge blow.
Max Kilman
Giving him a kind, pity 6/10 says more about where he is than anything else. It was a reasonably controlled performance, but he was possibly lucky not to be punished for his follow-through on Stach as he attempted to block his shot in the box, and forced the midfielder off injured. Should Leeds struggle from here, that may be his best contribution for the club. The lunge for the penalty is another example of the lack of attention in his defending. He actually could have easily won the ball, but went over it to wipe out his man.
Axel Disasi
Unlucky to deflect the ball how he did on the Leeds opener, he defended well on the opposite side to his usual since he joined the club, and came up with the vital late equaliser.
Freddie Potts
He was as bad as anyone else in the first half, and could be frustrated not to be allowed a spell in the changed shape and team after the break, but the midfield looked much better with Soucek alongside Fernandes.
Soungoutou Magassa
Much the same as Potts, he was below par in a half where the whole outfield team were. He either needs to be freed to press and win possession high, or sit as a disciplined holder. The midfield being more box-to-box, and a team that sat off, played to none of his strengths.
Mateus Fernandes
He was out of the game in a poor first half, but looked much better restored to a central midfield pair with Soucek, popping up with a vital goal. Looked a little leggy after his first spell with the Portuguese senior team.
Adama Traore
West Ham's Man of the Match, this was easily his best performance. Not just in those moments where he bullies a defender and turns to run 50 yards in an instant, he looked better when faced with defenders who wouldn't dive in, finding a few good crosses from the left. Many considered him only a right wing option, but this performance showed he can fill the gap left by Summerville, at least in the short term.
Jarrod Bowen
The ball will not go in for him, and he just needs that bit of luck, smashing the post with two fine efforts from range. But the penalty brings him back down, it was weak in power and conviction. He looked like a man who didn't have faith in fate, and it wasn't a surprise to see him miss, which is quite unthinkable of the Bowen West Ham fans know and love. He needs some luck, something to fall his way, but he probably, more than anything, could do with a rest. Good luck with that one.
Taty Castellanos
Also needs a slice of luck, but he was a nuisance for the Leeds defence and will cause them problems again if the last game of the season matters. He isn't top quality, but he makes himself a key component in a team with his work rate, and he looked better with Pablo up there with him, matching the defensive work and pushing the defence back. An isolated first half saw nobody offer anything like that.
Substitutes
Tomas Soucek(Magassa 46') The team improved with him on, although he didn't have a huge influence in actual play. But then he may have saved a goal with his combo block with Areola, and finished his penalty with aplomb.
Pablo Felipe
(Potts 46') It was an awful penalty. Short run-ups must work for some, but they always look like they leave the player struggling for power, and it was a weak penalty with poor placing. Even with a goal ruled out for offside, and it was a long way off, he still doesn't look a player who will score a goal for West Ham, at least not against Premier League teams.
Mohamadou Kante
(Castellanos 105') Brilliant off the bench, when everyone else faded, he brought energy and pushed the Leeds defence back with his direct running. Watching him dribble forward, he can come across as a middle ground between Diame's balletic movements and Kouyate's clumsy drives at goal. The little touch to create space for a shot had lovely skill, but the shot was quite the opposite.
Ollie Scarles
(Diouf 105') Got right to the pace of it and tackled and passed well.
Finlay Herrick
(Areola 120') He could probably take an 8/10 just for how he goaded the Leeds penalty takers, and making a penalty save with his first chance to get hands on the ball was excellent. He looks to have the character, and a bright future to go with it
Ezra Mayers
(Traore 125') On for the final, few seconds.
Airidas Golambeckis
Did not play.
Keiber Lamadrid
Did not play.
Josh Ajala
Did not play.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Alphonse Areola, Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Max Kilman, Axel Disasi, Freddie Potts, Soungoutou Magassa, Mateus Fernandes, Adama Traore, Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos.Goals: Mateus Fernandes 93 Axel Disasi 96 .
Booked: Max Kilman 0 Kyle Walker-Peters 0 .
Sent Off: None sent off. .
Leeds United: Perri, Bogle (Piroe 106), Struijk, Rodon (Bornauw 52), Bijol, Justin, Tanaka (Gruev 69), Ampadu (c), Stach (Aaronson 38), Okafor (Gnonto 69), Nmecha (Calvert-Lewin 69).
Subs not used: Darlow, Byram, Longstaff.
Goals: Tanaka (46), Calvert-Lewin (pen 75).
Booked: Nmecha, Ampadu, Bogle.
Sent off: None.
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Attendance: 62,260.
Man of the Match: Adama Traore.