Credit: Imago and Match of the Day

Max Wilkins

Mon 9 March 2026 7:10, UK

Leeds United had Sean Longstaff to thank as part of their 3-0 win against Norwich City on Sunday.

The Whites are through to the quarter-final of the FA Cup after securing a largely simple victory against Daniel Farke’s old side at Elland Road.

It was the ex-Newcastle United man who opened the scoring before Gabriel Gudmundsson and Joel Piroe made sure of the result.

The left-back won the Man of the Match award, but it was his English midfield colleague who caught the attention in Yorkshire.

Longstaff bagged a superb and hugely unique goal to get his side on the right track as Leeds secured victory over Norwich.

Sean Longstaff couldn’t repeat heroics vs Norwich City

It hasn’t been a totally ideal season for the 28-year-old due to a lack of regular minutes since his move from St James’ Park.

The majority of his gametime in recent weeks has come in the FA Cup, something which he has taken with both hands.

His performance away at Birmingham City was positive, and the same has to be said of his showcase at Elland Road on Sunday.

That was all summed up by his stunning touch, turn and strike within the Norwich penalty area, leaving Daniel Grimshaw with no chance in goal.

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray was stunned by the effort on Match of the Day and suggested Longstaff couldn’t do it again if he tried.

He said: “Everything down the left-hand side, Leeds were dominant. Gnonto, Longstaff and Gudmundsson all connected really well. Longstaff doesn’t get picked up, but this finish is so good.

“The way that he brings it down, I honestly think if he did this another 99 times, he couldn’t squeeze it in that little corridor. It’s exceptional.”

Longstaff gave Farke something to think about against Norwich, and that leaves the head coach with a decision to make next time around.

Should Longstaff start vs Crystal Palace?

Next up for Farke and Co. is an away trip to face Crystal Palace as the dream of staying in the Premier League continues.

The Whites are sitting clear of the bottom three and appear to be safe enough due to Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham’s battle.

But, that could always change with the gap so small.

That could afford Leeds some space to experiment a bit more and utilise their squad across the remaining nine games in the league.

Longstaff has clearly proven himself with the sort of impact he can make, so giving him that chance away to Palace may be worthwhile.

The next question is about who he could replace, but with the form of Anton Stach in recent weeks, that isn’t an easy one to answer.