There must have been mixed feelings in the Leeds camp when they drew Sutton United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. Although the Amber and Chocolates are the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition - they sit 15 in the National League table – a trip to their Gander Green Lane home in the full glare of the TV cameras makes it a banana skin in waiting, and our Fixture in Focus at Football FanCast.Removing the ‘magic of the cup’ element from play, though, Leeds should easily overcome Sutton. No disrespect to Paul Doswell’s men, but the gulf in quality is vast and very few non-league sides venture far into the competition nowadays. So, assuming the Whites go through, Garry Monk’s men will find themselves in the last 16 and with a host of Premier League sides already knocked out - and more likely to follow over the coming weekend - getting to a semi-final at Wembley, or even winning the thing, is somewhat feasible.With that in mind, here are THREE reasons we think Leeds are this year's dark horses in the FA Cup…
Amazing form under Monk
Following season upon season of wallowing around the middle of the Championship lurching from disaster to catastrophe, Leeds really look to have got their act together, and that’s in no small part due to Garry Monk. Axed by Swansea, the former centre-back has always been a coach that prides himself on playing football the right way and his Whites side have been pretty easy on the eye this term, as well as smart in the way they go about their business. The automatic promotion spots might well be out of reach this season, but that should not distract from their form, with the men from Yorkshire having only experienced defeat twice since the start of December.
Confidence, then, is high and with Sutton not expected to see them off, a spot in the last 16 of the competition presents a real chance of getting to Wembley.
The battle at the top of the Premier League
Going all the way back to the 1999/00 season, the FA Cup has only been won by a team you may consider non-elite (out of the top division’s current top six) on two occasions: Portsmouth in 2007/08 and Wigan in 2012/13. However, there is cause to think that overall trend will be bucked this term, with the big six Premier League teams involved in one of the most fierce title/top four races we have seen for some time.
Indeed, it’s not crazy to suggest that Manchester United way down in sixth place could mount a late push for the big prize, with a 14-point deficit to leaders Chelsea, although significant, certainly not un-bridgeable. Taking the title out of the equation, all six teams will be desperate to make sure they finish in the Champions League qualification slots, while, aside from Chelsea and Liverpool, all are still in some form of European competition. Simply put, the FA Cup will be down their list of priorities.
That creates cause for optimism for those below, and while the likes of Southampton may be confident, there isn’t a great gap in quality between upper-table Championship sides and the likes of Hull, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace. So, Leeds, given a favourable run or some home draws, could find themselves in the mix.
Chris Wood’s goals
With 20 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions, Wood is having an outstanding season for the Whites. The New Zealander’s efforts have been flowing at a consistent rate all campaign, but the past few weeks have seen him go into overdrive, with six in his last four matches.
Leeds will be unable to bridge the gap in quality between themselves and Premier League sides through Wood alone, should they advance past Sutton United, but having a potent goal threat is a huge positive. Also, his sheer size (6ft. 3â€) makes the Oceanic marksman the sort of player Leeds can hit with long balls to ease pressure or look for at set pieces and crosses – both viable routes to goal when being an underdog.