Perri's Penalty Heroics Propel Leeds United Past Birmingham in FA Cup Shootout

In a tense FA Cup fourth-round encounter at St. Andrew's, Leeds United advanced to the next stage after defeating Birmingham City 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Sunday. Goalkeeper Lucas Perri emerged as the hero, saving a crucial spot-kick and benefiting from a miss, despite admitting his extensive penalty research proved futile.

The match began with Leeds taking the lead through Lukas Nmecha's powerful second-half strike. However, Patrick Roberts leveled the score with a late deflected effort, forcing the game into extra time and ultimately penalties. Perri, who had dived low to his right to deny Tommy Doyle and watched Roberts blaze over the bar, reflected on the unpredictability of the shootout.

"Unfortunately, for the first two penalties, since they didn't have their numbers on their shorts, it was difficult for me to see," Perri told TNT Sports. "And the third one, we didn't know exactly [where he would shoot, so I used] instinct. I am happy to help the club."

Perri's performance was particularly notable given his recent bench role under manager Daniel Farke, who had criticized him following a 4-3 Premier League loss to Newcastle United last month. With Karl Darlow as the preferred choice in league games, Farke rotated to Perri for this cup tie, a decision that paid off handsomely. Earlier in the match, Perri made an excellent first-half save to thwart Jay Stansfield.

Teammate Sean Longstaff, who scored the decisive penalty, praised Perri's contributions throughout the game. "Lucas was excellent. He was massive in the shootout, but [also] in the whole game. He made two or three massive saves," Longstaff said. "We ground out a result. It's never pretty in the FA Cup. Any time you are drawn away to a team in a lower division, people expect you to just rock up and win, but that's never the case. They were excellent."

"I am really happy for Lucas. It's been, not a tough time for him, but up and down," Longstaff added.

This victory marks only the second time Leeds have won a penalty shootout in their last six attempts and the second in FA Cup history, following a 4-2 loss to Wolves in the 2005-06 season. Leeds now progress in the competition, buoyed by Perri's redemption and the team's resilience against a spirited Birmingham side.