Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Sat 4 April 2026 20:10, UK

Daniel Farke will have it all to do to break a Leeds United record ahead of their FA Cup tie against West Ham.

The Whites have not made an FA Cup semi-final since the 1986-1987 season, and the German has the chance to make this a memorable campaign despite the threat of relegation.

At the moment, the Elland Road outfit have a four-point buffer over current 18th-placed side West Ham, their FA Cup opponents.

A win in the cup could dishearten their relegation rivals and provide a timely boost for Farke in the final weeks of the season.

However, history shows Leeds’ FA Cup ties against Premier League opposition do not often end well for the LS11 club.

What is Leeds’ FA Cup record against Premier League teams?

This season, Leeds’ FA Cup ties have been quite favourable, with Championship opposition being drawn in the first three fixtures.

It has allowed the Peacocks to not only rotate their squad but also embark on this run to the quarter-final so far.

However, that run could now end in Leeds’ first tie against Premier League opposition due to an ominous record.

In Leeds’ last 18 FA Cup runs, they have been eliminated by a Premier League side on 16 occasions. Additionally, the Whites have lost seven FA Cup games against top-flight opposition in a row.

It is certainly not a positive omen for Farke as he gears up to face West Ham, with Leeds the underdogs according to the supercomputer.

When was the last time Leeds beat a Premier League team in the FA Cup?

You would have to go back to the 2012-2013 season to remember the last time Leeds got one over a Premier League team in the FA Cup.

On that occasion, the Whites secured a 2-1 win at Elland Road against Tottenham Hotspur. In that season, that result was quite the shock.

The LS11 outfit were a mid-table Championship team, finishing in 13th place that season. Meanwhile, Tottenham started Gareth Bale, who had begun becoming a world-class player.

Spurs finished fifth in the Premier League table, putting them 27 league positions above the Yorkshire outfit.

Now, with another London opposition in front of Leeds, they will be hoping to overcome their previous woes in the FA Cup.

This time, they will not be as much of an underdog as they were 13 years ago.