(Credit: Imago)

Richie Mills

Mon 9 March 2026 8:40, UK

Gabriel Gudmundsson broke new ground for Leeds United following their 3-0 FA Cup win over Norwich City.

Gudmundsson brilliantly set up Sean Longstaff for the opener at Elland Road on Sunday, before netting a neat finish on the verge of half-time.

Joel Piroe then added some extra gloss to the scoreline late on against the Championship outfit as Daniel Farke’s team advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition, something Leeds haven’t done since 2003.

According to OptaJoe, summer signing Gudmundsson scored his first goal for Leeds from his 20th shot and registered his first assist from his 22nd chance created to fire the Premier League side to victory.

It was another stellar display from the left-back, but Farke did admit that he needs to be mindful of the amount of game time the Leeds ace is getting this season.

Daniel Farke brands Gabriel Gudmundsson a ‘Scandinavian machine’

According to LUFC Data, in Gudmundsson’s 87-minute outing, he made 16 ball carries, won seven duels, made a combined four clearances and ball recoveries, and got two goal contributions.

Moreover, on Sofascore, he achieved the highest rating for a Leeds player at 8.8 and also picked up the Player of the Match award.

This led to a great deal of praise from Farke, despite admitting he could have given the 26-year-old Swede a bit of a breather.

He said, “I could [have rested him] but two thoughts, he’s our only left-footed wing-back, that makes it a bit tricky, especially when you expect to be dominant and have several crosses from that position.

“Last time I rested him, the next day he was injured in training. So I thought it better for him to stay in, keep going like a Scandinavian machine.

“I kept him quite long on the pitch, and we have a full week to recover, and good for his confidence to be there with an important assist and goal – that was a long time coming. Delighted for him. He’s a top-class character and player.”

That was Gudmundsson’s 30th game of the season for Leeds, the joint second highest (with Jayden Bogle) behind Brenden Aaronson (31). And only captain Ethan Ampadu has played more minutes than the left-back, with Gudmundsson’s 2,531 minutes just trailing the Welshman’s 2,568.

Leeds are preparing for their final nine Premier League games, in addition to their FA Cup quarter-final.

As they head into that crucial stretch, the Whites need to be cognisant of managing certain players’ minutes – and Gudmundsson should be top of that list.

Leeds United receive welcome boost after Sunderland setback

For much of the winter, Leeds have kept the relegation zone at arm’s length. That can no longer be said after defeats to Manchester City and Sunderland, coupled with West Ham’s uptick in form.

Farke’s side sit just three points above the bottom three in 15th, but the fact that there are several teams in and around them is better than being the sole team trying to stay out of danger.

While West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham could all win their next games, the likelihood of that happening is slim, meaning Leeds could stay out of the drop zone even if they lose next time out.

And after those defeats, Leeds’ win over Norwich was a welcome boost.

Not too many conclusions should be drawn from dispatching an in-form Championship side, as bigger Premier League tests lie ahead.

But a defeat to the Canaries could have had a negative knock-on effect ahead of a crunch trip to Crystal Palace next Sunday.

This game allowed Farke to rest some key personnel, with the German making nine changes from the Sunderland defeat, and some fringe players were given a chance to shine. They may need their wider squad to stay up, so things could not have gone much better on Sunday for Leeds.