Leeds United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in more than two decades with a convincing victory over Norwich City at Elland Road.
The Premier League side controlled the match from the outset and rarely looked troubled by their Championship opponents.
Their dominance paid off midway through the first half when Sean Longstaff produced a brilliant finish, expertly bringing down a cross from Gabriel Gudmundsson before volleying the ball into the net.
Leeds doubled their advantage shortly before the interval, with Gudmundsson grabbing his first goal for the club.
The defender reacted quickest inside the box to poke home after Norwich failed to clear Dan James’ dangerous cross.
Norwich struggled to threaten in the opening period and had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time for their first attempt on goal, when Ali Ahmed dragged a low effort wide.
The visitors improved after the break and tested Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri for the first time just over 10 minutes into the second half.
The Brazilian was equal to the task, comfortably saving a long-range strike from Kenny McLean.
Norwich came close to pulling one back when substitute Errol Mundle-Smith delivered an excellent ball across the face of goal to Anis Ben Slimane, but the midfielder could only send his shot onto the outside of the post.
At the other end, Norwich goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic - who replaced the injured Daniel Grimshaw at half-time - made a couple of impressive saves to keep the score down.
However, he was beaten late on when Dutch striker Joel Piroecurled a superb left-footed effort into the corner with five minutes remaining to seal the win.
Leeds had not reached this stage of the competition since the 2002–03 season, having fallen at the fifth-round hurdle four times since then.
The victory provided a timely boost for Leeds following a disappointing Premier League defeat to Sunderland earlier in the week.
That loss dragged them back toward the relegation battle and highlighted concerns about their attacking play.
Head coach Daniel Farke, serving a one-match touchline ban against his former club, made several changes to the starting lineup, with only two players retaining their places from the midweek game.
Those brought into the side seized their opportunity, delivering a composed and energetic performance that comfortably outplayed a Norwich team managed by Philippe Clement.
Norwich had arrived in strong form, winning nine of their previous 11 matches in all competitions.
For Leeds, the result not only keeps their FA Cup campaign alive but also offers encouragement that their squad has the depth needed to steer clear of trouble in the Premier League while enjoying a long-awaited run in the competition.
