Chris Sutton dreaming as he predicts Daniel Farke rethink in ‘massive’ Leeds United assessment
Chris Sutton believes that Norwich City will upset the odds and beat Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth round.
Leeds were given a brutal reality check on Tuesday as they not only lost 1-0 to Sunderland despite dominating the game, but they also suffered a rare defeat under the lights at Elland Road.
That setback for Daniel Farke‘s side, in addition to 18th-placed West Ham winning at Fulham on Wednesday, leaves them just three points above the relegation zone.
The Yorkshire team will take a break from the Premier League on Sunday when they host Championship side Norwich City, who have been rejuvenated under new boss Philippe Clement.
And as the Premier League’s relegation battle heats up, ex-Celtic striker Sutton thinks that may change the way Farke approaches the match against his old side, Norwich.
Chris Sutton predicts more pain for Leeds United
Ahead of this encounter, former Chelsea forward Sutton thinks that Farke will now “prioritise” staying in the Premier League and that an FA Cup run will be an afterthought.
He said in his BBC Sport column: “Leeds’ defeat by Sunderland, and then seeing West Ham and [Nottingham] Forest get good results in midweek, might just change the way Daniel Farke approaches this tie against his former club.
“I can see him really prioritising Premier League survival. Next week’s league game against Crystal Palace is a massive game, and I think he will leave his big-hitters out of this tie. That opens the door for Norwich, who are in amazing form under Philippe Clement despite being depleted by injury.”
Indeed, Norwich have won four of their last five Championship matches and are comfortably clear of the relegation zone, after hovering around the bottom three before Clement’s appointment.
And due to Leeds’ recent loss and Norwich winning 13 of their 22 games under the former Rangers boss so far, he has predicted the Canaries to win this game 2-1 in extra time.
He added: “Clement has brought belief and a winning mentality to the team and they play good football too. I was at Elland Road in 2024 when Leeds destroyed Norwich 4-0 in the Championship play-off semi-final.
“It won’t be 4-0 this time, but we will see another Norwich victory. Let me dream – the Canaries can make it to Wembley.”
What Leeds line-up will Daniel Farke go for against Norwich?
After the Sunderland defeat, many Leeds fans have speculated what side Farke will pick against his former club on Sunday.
One could argue that he needs to play a strong line-up to get the winning feeling back at the Whites but that may increase the possibility of burnout or injury to some key players.
Conversely, giving some fringe players some extra game time could be a risk as they haven’t played much and could be undone by an in-form Norwich.
MOT Leeds News has selected its predicted team for the Norwich game, which involves a mix of first-teamers like Anton Stach, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Pascal Struijk.
But on the flip side, goalkeeper Lucas Perri has been predicted to return to the starting lineup, with out of favour players such as Joel Piroe, Ao Tanaka, Dan James and Sean Longstaff backed to feature.
There could be a lot riding on this match. For one, this represents a chance for Leeds to make a rare FA Cup quarter-final.
A win would lift spirits again ahead of a tough trip to Crystal Palace in the Premier League but defeat could lead to a damaging confidence hit for Farke’s side.
This game should not be taken lightly, just as the Birmingham penalty shootout win in the last round showed.
For more on Leeds and Farke, check out Football Insider for more.