Leeds United booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round today at St Andrew’s, but only after a tie that swung from Birmingham dominance to Leeds control and finally to the lottery of penalties, where the Premier League side held their nerve to win 4-2 in the shootout after 1-1 across 120 minutes.
Birmingham were the sharper, braver team for much of the first half, playing with a tempo and aggression that made Leeds look uncomfortable and rushed, and the home crowd could sense an upset brewing early on. Jay Stansfield almost delivered the perfect moment when he struck a dipping effort that looked destined for the top corner, only for Lucas Perri to claw it away and the ball to crash against the woodwork instead of the net—one of those near-misses that feels huge when a cup tie goes the distance.
Leeds, to their credit, survived that storm and emerged after half-time with a different edge, helped by a tweak in shape and a more physical, authoritative presence in midfield.
The breakthrough arrived four minutes into the second half when Lukas Nmecha was released into space, rode the pressure of a chasing defender, and then drilled a decisive finish from distance to put Leeds 1-0 up on 49 minutes. At that point the match threatened to tilt the other way: Leeds looked more like themselves, Birmingham’s early rhythm stuttered, and the visitors carried more threat on the counter as the game stretched.
Birmingham still had moments—dangerous deliveries, quick switches of play, balls flashed across the six-yard box—but Leeds were now matching their intensity, and it began to feel like the cup story might be heading toward a professional away win.
Then came the late twist that ignited St Andrew’s. With just a minute left of normal time, Birmingham recycled a set-piece and Patrick Roberts—introduced from the bench—made a split-second decision to shoot from distance rather than overplay. His strike took a telling deflection on its way through, wrong-footed Perri, and flew in to make it 1-1 on 89 minutes, transforming frustration into sudden belief in the stands and dragging Leeds into extra time. Both sides had chances to win it before penalties: Birmingham went within inches when Ibrahim Osman struck the post deep in stoppage time, and there were frantic, last-ditch blocks and desperate clearances at both ends as the clock drained. Even in extra time it stayed on a knife-edge—Leeds had moments where one clean final pass could have ended it, Birmingham had moments where one composed finish could have crowned it—yet neither found that decisive touch, and the tie moved toward the spot.
The shootout turned on nerve and goalkeeping. With penalties level at 2-2, Perri produced the defining save, diving to deny Tommy Doyle, and Birmingham’s momentum faltered immediately after when Roberts—hero in normal time—blazed his penalty over the bar. Sean Longstaff then stepped up and slammed in the decisive kick to send Leeds through, with the away end celebrating the kind of hard-earned cup escape that can become a springboard rather than a footnote. Perri later explained that some of the pre-planned penalty preparation was difficult to apply in the moment and he had to lean on instinct—an honest admission that made his contribution feel even bigger.
Afterwards, Leeds manager Daniel Farke struck a tone that was equal parts relief and realism. He openly credited Birmingham for making it so difficult, admitted his side were second best in the first half, and praised the way Leeds found a solution after the break—tightening up, getting more control, and showing the resilience to stay in the tie even when they weren’t playing well. He highlighted Perri’s big saves in open play and in the shootout, and framed the victory as the kind of gritty, character-building win that can strengthen belief inside a squad.
Birmingham boss Chris Davies was proud but visibly disappointed, insisting his side played with fluidity and aggression and created enough to win the match outright, especially in the first half. He pointed to the volume and quality of Birmingham’s chances and the late pressure that earned the equaliser as evidence they deserved more, while also acknowledging the lingering frustration that one more moment—Osman’s shot off the post, one cleaner finish, one penalty kept down—could have made the day historic.
