Leeds face huge opportunity in FA Cup

Leeds United have long since been viewed as one of the biggest clubs in English football, even though their standing in the Premier League (and often below that) hasn’t always dictated success. Their glory days came many years ago and yet despite that, they continue to serve as one of the most obvious examples of what it means to have a loyal fanbase in the beautiful game.

This season certainly hasn’t been the easiest for them, especially across the first couple of months, and another relegation battle was always likely to be looming. Despite that, though, the boys from Yorkshire have put up far more of a fight than a lot had anticipated, to the point where it now seems more likely than not that they will remain in the top flight for another year.

The road less travelled

It wasn’t too long ago back in late 2025 that multiple reports suggested Daniel Farke was on his way to being sacked as Leeds manager. Now, they are third favourites at 9/1 to win this season’s FA Cup. If you’re looking to back them ahead of their semi-final with Chelsea, applying a bet365 promo code is a smart way to get some extra value on your bet.

But how did it get to this point? How were they able to come together as a club, realise what was going wrong, and rectify it? The simple answer, as eye-rolling as it may sound, is that they locked in – and they did so in a manner that very few promoted clubs have been able to across the last few years.

Arguably the most interesting thing about their FA Cup run is that they simply have not been allowed to do things the easy way. While their first three games leading into the quarter-finals all came against Championship opposition, we all know that the gap between the top two leagues in England has been narrowing for a while, and in cup competition, you can throw all forms of logic out of the window.

They started off with a trip to the East Midlands to face Derby County which, in its own right, is a fixture that holds a lot of importance and stakes given the history that sits between these two iconic clubs. Up next in February was another clash on the road, this time against an incredibly well-funded Birmingham City side that took Leeds all the way to the brink in a very tense penalty shootout.

The big step up

They were able to head back to Elland Road for a fun battle with Norwich in the fifth round which they breezed through with relative ease 3-0, but then in the last eight, they went head to head with West Ham United, a team they have been tussling with in the relegation scrap all season long.

They lost a 2-0 lead, they had their backs against the wall, and once again they had to play away from home – but none of that mattered. They dug deep, they took the game to penalties, and for the second time in three games, they overcame adversity to pull out the win when it mattered most.

Up next is Chelsea, and given where Liam Rosenior’s team is at right now, betting against the Northerners could prove to be a big, big mistake.

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