Ethan Ampadu pushed after ‘sneaky’ off-camera moment in Leeds win vs Birmingham
Ethan Ampadu was caught by a Birmingham coach trying to listen to their tactics during Leeds United’s FA Cup win on Sunday.
Ampadu was a second-half substitute for the West Yorkshire outfit, coming off the bench to replace Facundo Buonanotte and help the Whites progress to the fifth round.
The Brighton loanee had a torrid first period, but Leeds improved with their captain on the pitch, and Lukas Nmecha opened the scoring soon after half-time.
However, Patrick Roberts equalised late on for Birmingham, and Farke’s side were taken all the way to a penalty shootout, before eventually prevailing.
Ethan Ampadu caught in light-hearted Leeds moment
Leeds were big favourites going into their FA Cup fourth round tie with Birmingham, but it proved to be a challenging afternoon at St Andrew’s.
The Whites were pushed all the way by the Championship side, with Lucas Perri having to make several smart stops during normal and extra time.
Perri stepped up in the shootout as well, flinging himself full-stretch to his right-hand side to keep out Tommy Doyle’s spot-kick and give Leeds the advantage.
Sean Longstaff eventually converted the winning penalty, booking Leeds’ place in the fifth round.
Before the shootout, though, Ampadu jokingly tried to get involved in a Birmingham team huddle, in a moment that wasn’t seen by the TV cameras.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, during a late break in play, the Welshman was laughing as he got pushed away by a Birmingham coach as he attempted to “sneakily” listen in to their team talk.
Ethan Ampadu proves his quality
Ampadu has been one of the first names on the Leeds teamsheet for years now, and he once again proved his class against Birmingham.
The midfielder brought some calm and control to the Whites following his introduction, and helped them stamp some authority on the game.
As shown by the Sofascore graphic below, throughout the second half and the entirety of extra time, Ampadu made six clearances and won three tackles.
The Wales international also won all nine of his duels, as well as managing two shots.
He immediately made Leeds look better in and out of possession, and Farke will be grateful that he even managed to hand him 45 minutes worth of rest before he was needed.
For even more Leeds news and updates, head over to Football Insider.