Leeds United were eliminated from the FA Cup but were buoyed for the Championship promotion fight.
Leeds United will go into a Saturday lunchtime game against Huddersfield Town full of confidence and high expectations for the Championship crown, despite being knocked out of the FA Cup.
Leeds’ performance at Stamford Bridge, particularly in the second half and with a different lineup, will give manager Daniel Farke, his players, and the fans even more confidence in what is to come in the league this season. Chelsea may have advanced to the quarterfinals courtesy to Conor Gallagher’s late goal, but the Whites stole the show.
Archie Gray didn’t simply stand up to a midfield valued more than £100 million; he ran circuits around them at times. Mateo Joseph provided himself a huge boost with two goals, while Ethan Ampadu reminded Chelsea of his abilities, and the list goes on.
Leeds’ ultimate goal this season is to return to the Premier League, and the fact that Chelsea will now face Leicester City will only help them. The Foxes have had to postpone their meeting against Southampton and will have to find time in a hectic run-up to squeeze in what might be a crucial game in the promotion battle. That will undoubtedly help Leeds’ chances in both the title battle and the race for automatic promotion.
Leeds can now play Millwall, followed by an international break that will allow them to recover, plan, and attack the final weeks of the campaign. While a last-minute winner broke hearts, the fact that Leeds didn’t have to play an extra 30 minutes of football could prove crucial against the Terriers in only two days. Manager Daniel Farke was well aware of this fact.
When asked about Gray’s individual performance, he stated, “It’s good for him confidence to see him play at this level with these players. Enzo and Caiedo. I liked him on the pitch. It’s good that he didn’t have to do 120 minutes. He can take pride in his performance.”
Gray can be proud, and he will have improved even more from impressing against such talent, as will many of the other players. Defeats are never something to celebrate, but there are plenty of silver linings in this Cup loss, not just for Saturday, but also for the rest of the league season.
