Leeds United latest as Premier League survival target set and FA Cup disaster predicted

Leeds United will turn their attention to the FA Cup this weekend as they prepare to host Norwich City in the fifth round on Sunday.

The Whites have been slowly climbing to Premier League safety over the last few months, but have hit a bump in the road recently with back-to-back 1-0 defeats at home to Manchester City and Sunderland. As a result, the gap between themselves and the bottom three has been closed to just three points.

Former Premier League stars Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe have had their say on what Leeds need to confirm their survival, while there is also comment regarding Daniel Farke’s suspension following his red card against Manchester City, and their FA Cup clash with the Canaries.

Leeds still have work to do in PL survival race

While it’s all about the FA Cup this weekend, Leeds players and fans will surely have half an eye stuck on their Premier League relegation scrap, with key ties against the likes of Crystal Palace, Wolves, Burnley and Tottenham to come over the next couple of months.

Indeed, the bottom of the table is extremely close, with just three points separating the Whites in 15th and West Ham in 18th, while even Burnley are still just nine points from safety.

Earle and Mustoe believe Leeds still need a couple more results from their final nine games to ensure their survival - especially considering they travel to West Ham on the last day of the campaign.

“Leeds aren’t out of it (relegation battle),” former Premier League star Robbie Mustoe said.

Earle replied: “Leeds need two results to keep them up.”

Mustoe and Earle - the former an ex-Middlesbrough midfielder and the latter a scorer of 45 Premier League goals for Wimbledon - also agreed that Leeds “should be safe” if they hit the 36 or 37-point mark.

Tony Pulis comments on Daniel Farke suspension

Leeds will have to cope without manager Daniel Farke for this weekend’s visit of former club Norwich. The German was sent off after the full-time whistle of Leeds’ 1-0 defeat to Man City at Elland Road at the end of February for confronting referee Peter Bankes over the amount of added time that was played.

Former Stoke City, West Brom and Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis has sympathised with Farke, with the Welshman firmly of the belief that the ‘bigger’ Premier League clubs too often get the rub of the green.

“Leeds boss Daniel Farke was sent off for questioning the referee’s time-keeping at the end of Leeds’ 1-0 defeat by Manchester City,” Pulis wrote in his BBC Sport column.

“I felt for him – for years and years, the managers of the so-called smaller Premier League clubs have had an inward belief that the top teams tend to get more decisions go their way than they do. I certainly did!

“The time being added on at the end of a game is getting longer and longer, with both teams often complaining about the rationale of the referee’s decision.”

Chris Sutton makes Leeds vs Norwich prediction

Focusing on that FA Cup tie, Chris Sutton has had his say on the outcome of the match.

Leeds are looking to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time since 2003, but must overcome a Canaries side that have won 11 of their last 16 across all competitions - losing just four games during that time - following some early-season struggles.

Sutton began his career at Norwich and made over 120 appearances for them before going on to win the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers. With that in mind, it’ll come as no surprise that the ex-Chelsea striker is backing the visitors for a shock win.

“Leeds' defeat by Sunderland, and then seeing West Ham and Forest get good results in midweek, might just change the way Daniel Farke approaches this tie against his former club,” Sutton wrote in his predictions column for BBC Sport, tipping Norwich for a 2-1 extra-time win.

“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.

“He has done an unbelievable job and they are one of the form teams in the Championship. 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. This time, I actually think my old side will go there and win - just as we did in the 1993-94 season, when Jeremy Goss scored one of the goals of the season. People always talk about that Goss goal but a young striker called Chris Sutton put in a centre-forward masterclass that day, and he even found the net as well, with a clever finish.

“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.”

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