Farke could solve the big blow of Stach’s injury by offloading Leeds’ new Summerville

Leeds United never take things easy.

From a neutral perspective, the drama that unfolded between Leeds and West Ham United in the last game of the quarter-final of the FA Cup of Easter Weekend did not disappoint, as the Whites conceded two goals at the death of normal time, taking the game to penalties due to fear.

For Leeds fans everywhere, however, the game went from being an enjoyable watch to complete torture.

Thankfully, Daniel Farke’s men held their own as they ran out 4-2 winners on penalties, with a semi-final against Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea now on the cards at Wembley, later this month.

As reporter Kyle Newbould put it on the full-time whistle, it was a “mind-blowing” game to play, with several Leeds players showing their best during the 120-minute clash at the London Stadium.

How Leeds faced West Ham

It was a much later than expected first trip for Leeds fans back in West Yorkshire, now, but they will have no worries, having seen their side reach the FA Cup semi-finals since 1987.

They did it the hard way, but it meant that Lucas Perri was the hero in the area, as he saved two kick-kicks, giving the away team a very memorable win.

Alongside Perri, Jaka Bijol stood out defensively, with 11 brave duels won during the extended contest, while Pascal Struijk kicked one of Leeds’ four successful penalties past Hammers starter Finley Herrick.

Of course, Ao Tanaka would get the ball rolling for Farke and Co, when he cleverly struck a deflected effort, after just 25 minutes had been played.

For the rest of the game, it was impossible to forget just how stylish the Japanese ace opener was, as he calmly went about his business with a 91% pass accuracy.

Farke made good use of his bench, too, for the duration of the game, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his team’s second of the game in the first 90 minutes.

The free-flowing German also had to use his substitute options judiciously, as Anton Stach went down with an ominous injury after just 38 minutes of action.

This is sad, as Leeds still have a tough game left in their struggle to beat the drop in the Premier League, but there was one player who played well at the London Stadium who could have been a complete team.

How Leeds can solve their Stach blow

Losing Stach for such an important part of the season will be a bitter pill to swallow if his injury turns out to be bad.

The German livewire has consistently produced moments of magic for Farke’s men when they needed it, with four goals and three assists to his name in the Premier League this campaign.

It would give Wilfried Gnonto the perfect opportunity to return to his Leeds best; however, as he gave the Hammers plenty of headaches during the latter stages of an exciting tie.

From just 51 minutes of playing, when he replaced Noah Okafor, the Italian trickster left his goal in the back-and-forth, as the young player managed to win eight duels with only 29 touches, among other impressive statistics.

Even Perri, between the sticks, was able to do a lot, getting in touch 51 times, and Gnonto also finished his interesting game on the field with three shots, combined with one successful dribble, and even a fight that bravely overcame his problems.

He may have angered some of the Leeds faithful, as he spurned a couple of extra-time chances, but he made up for it with a solid penalty kick.

Often pushed to one side this season, with only four Premier League starts under his belt, Farke can now throw Gnonto in from the start, if Stach is to be sidelined, as he works as impressively as the former Hoffenheim man, when he is at his best. In his prime, there are comparisons to be drawn with former Leeds midfielders in the form of Raphinha and Crysencio Summerville but we rarely see him live up to that reputation.

In his power, the smart number 29 has been labeled as “explosive” by researcher Noel Whelan in the past for his amazing ability, and his powerful spell against the athletes of Nuno Espirito Santo deserves more opportunities for the first team, especially if there are disappointing news to come before the injury.

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