Leeds United - v - Plymouth Argyle *** FA Cup 4th Round ***
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Leeds United will seek to qualify for the FA Cup fourth round when they take on Plymouth Argyle on Saturday night.
Leeds United will have all their weapons trained upon securing a top-two finish in the EFL Championship this season but a good run in the FA Cup will certainly help build momentum.
Fellow Championship side Plymouth Argyle have proven themselves to be a difficult opposition on their day and pushed Leeds close when the sides met in the league last November. The FA Cup is unlikely to represent a priority to the Yorkshire but it should not take away from what should be an exciting cup tie.
Leeds are the favourites going into the tie but their inability to consistently perform every week is a major Achilles Heel. Elland Road has been a fortress this season and Plymouth will need to be at their very best to catch Farke and Co off guard.
With Plymouth having put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone, they can afford to go all out and have some fun in the FA Cup. A run into the fifth round is something that can help get fans on board and help build foundations for the seasons to come.
For now, it remains to be seen if they will become the first Championship side to beat Leeds in their own backyard.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
With attention focused on the Championship, Daniel Farke is expected to make changes to his starting lineup for the game. Leeds have begun 2024 with a bang and have won all five of their games in all competitions. They will now be keen to continue that run and build momentum for the final run-in.
However, this is their third game within a week and rotation is more of a necessity than an option. Wilfried Gnonto is likely to be unavailable with an injury but Leeds are otherwise set to swap in some of the players who have secured regular game time of late.
Leeds made short work of Peterborough in the third round and are expected to once again line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday. Kristoffer Klaesson should deputise in goal for Ilian Meslier with the quartet of Jamie Shackleton, Joe Rodon, Liam Cooper and Sam Byram forming the rearguard.
Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara should form the double pivot with Ian Poveda, Georginio Rutter and Jaidon Anthony forming the attacking midfield. An out-of-sorts Joel Piroe should lead the line as he aims to get his form back.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Klaesson; Shackleton, Rodon, Cooper, Byram; Gruev, Kamara; Poveda, Rutter, Anthony; Piroe
Plymouth Argyle
The visitors have no major injuries to be concerned about but will be without Darko Gyabi who is not allowed to face his parent club. More so the duo of Alfie Devine and Adam Forshaw are also ineligible due to being cup-tied in the competition.
Ian Forster is unbeaten since taking over as Plymouth boss and has two wins and a draw across all competitions to his name. With the club likely to settle for a mid-table finish in the Championship, he is likely to put out a strong side at Elland Road.
A 3-4-2-1 formation appears to be the solution on the night with Conor Hazard in goal. He should be protected by the back three of Julio Pleguezuelo, Dan Scarr and Brendan Galloway.
The duo of Adam Randell and Jordan Houghton will aim to control the central midfield with Bali Mumba and Mickel Miller acting as wing-backs. The duo can also drop deeper to form a flat back five should Leeds overwhelm the visitors on the night.
Morgan Whittaker and Ben Waine should form the dual number 10 role with Ryan Hardie leading the line up front.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hazard; Pleguezuelo, Scarr, Galloway; Mumba, Houghton, Randell, Miller; Whittaker, Waine; Hardie
Key Stats
Leeds United have won the FA Cup just once in their history, all the way back in 1972 under the legendary Don Revie.
Plymouth Argyle’s best run in the FA Cup came in 1983-84 when they made it to the semifinal.
Plymouth Argyle have progressed beyond the fourth round of the FA Cup on just two occasions in club history.
Both teams have faced each other just once in the FA Cup before, in the 1972-73 season Fourth Round at Elland Road. Leeds came out on top by a score line of 2-1 that night.
The summer signing Piroe is going through a rut in form at the moment. With Rutter impressing as a number 10 and Patrick Bamford rediscovering his mojo, Piroe has had to settle for a spot on the bench.
Farke is expected to rotate his squad on the night and this should give Piroe the opportunity to rediscover his scoring shoes. Whether he takes it or not remains to be seen.
Prediction
Leeds United 1-1 Plymouth Argyle
Leeds are the stronger side on paper but Plymouth have been energised by new management. The visitors are expected to go all out and should give Leeds a game. It promises to be an end-to-end encounter with a replay likely on the cards.
(Credit: thehardtackle.com).
2 - 0.
MOT.
