Leeds United were caught up in an unusual penalty shoot-out battle ahead of the FA Cup quarter-finals. Leeds manager Daniel Farke arrived at West Ham only to be informed that if the match went to penalties, he would not be allowed to take part in the shoot-out in front of the away supporters.
The decision is understood to have been taken for safety reasons, following consultation with police and the local safety advisory group. However, this is a very unusual situation and is unprecedented as shooting towards one end could be perceived as advantageous and the referee would flip a coin to determine which end would go first.
Leeds will bring 9,000 supporters to West Ham and there is a large police presence around the match due to security and safety concerns. West Ham characterized this as a “dynamic” decision based on security considerations and would only be confirmed if necessary.
Leeds had already won on penalties against Birmingham City this season, while West Ham won on penalties in front of 5,000 Brentford supporters at the London Stadium.
Express Sport has contacted the Football Association for comment.
Both West Ham and Leeds went into Sunday’s clash with the best chance of reaching Wembley. The winner will be confirmed as the fourth team to participate in the semi-final draw.
At the London Stadium, the visiting team had the upper hand, with Ao Tanaka scoring the first goal for the visiting team in the 26th minute of the first half.
Manchester City remain overwhelming favorites to win the title after defeating Liverpool on Saturday. Chelsea defeated struggling League One side Port Vale with seven men, while Southampton shocked Arsenal by defeating them.
