Pascal Struijk sends Leeds to FA Cup semi-final after West Ham penalty drama

Pascal Struijk FA Cup semi-final winner sealed Leeds United’s place at Wembley after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over West Ham United following a chaotic 2-2 draw in London.

Leeds appeared to be cruising into the semi-finals before a late collapse forced extra time, but they eventually held their nerve from the spot to join Manchester City, Chelsea and Southampton in the final four.

The tie at the London Stadium looked settled deep into stoppage time, with Leeds leading 2-0 and controlling the contest. However, the match turned dramatically in the closing minutes.

Jarrod Bowen sparked hope for West Ham in the 93rd minute when his effort led to Matheus Fernandes converting the rebound. Just three minutes later, Axel Disasi finished from close range after a delivery from Adama Traoré to level the score at 2-2.

That late surge forced extra time in a match that had already swung heavily in Leeds’ favour earlier on.

Leeds had taken the lead midway through the first half through Ao Tanaka, who reacted sharply after Noah Okafor’s initial effort struck the crossbar.

The visitors then doubled their advantage with 15 minutes remaining when Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the penalty spot, seemingly putting them in a commanding position heading into stoppage time.

From the last few FA Cup matches we’ve covered, Leeds have shown resilience in key moments, but this was a rare instance where control slipped late on. However, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions about their defensive stability given the circumstances.

West Ham nearly completed the turnaround in extra time, only for a goal from Taty Castellanos to be ruled out for offside. The match continued to swing, with both sides showing signs of fatigue.

A late injury to Alphonse Areola forced West Ham to introduce debutant Finley Herrick, who immediately made an impact by saving Leeds’ opening penalty in the shoot-out.

Despite that early setback, Leeds recovered. Both teams converted consistently until Pablo Fornals missed for West Ham, leaving Struijk with the decisive moment.

The defender stepped up and calmly converted, sending Leeds through to the semi-finals.

Leeds will now prepare for their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, scheduled for later in April 2026. The draw will determine their opponent, with several strong sides already through.

Attention will also turn back to league fixtures, where maintaining momentum will be important ahead of the semi-final. Squad rotation and recovery could play a key role after such an intense encounter.