Leeds United Stage Second-Half Comeback to Beat Derby County 3-1 in FA Cup

12 January 2026 Football

Premier League Side Avoid Cup Upset at Pride Park

Leeds United began their 2026 Emirates FA Cup campaign on Sunday afternoon, as they travelled to the East Midlands to face Sky Bet Championship side Derby County in a Third Round fixture. The match, played at Pride Park Stadium, saw the Premier League side overturn a first-half deficit to secure their place in the fourth round draw.

Derby Take Early Lead After Missed Penalty

Ben Brereton Diaz had put Derby ahead in the first half, scoring just two minutes after Joel Piroe had missed a penalty at the other end. The Championship side, currently positioned 13th in their division, looked to cause an upset against their higher-ranked opponents. Derby are currently in 13th place in the EFL Championship, and so a good cup run could define their season, whilst Leeds, meanwhile, are in 16th in the Premier League and will be hopeful of securing a spot in the fourth round.

Leeds Fight Back After Interval

Leeds showcased their top-flight quality after the break. Gnonto slammed home with a venomous first-time finish in the 55th minute. Tanaka then tucked in from point-blank range after Jacob Widell Zetterstrom parried out Piroe’s shot. Derby failed to test Karl Darlow in the Leeds goal from then on, and Justin added further gloss in stoppage time by side-footing in his first Whites goal.

Historical Rivalry Continues

Leeds and Derby have quite a history, with the Rams United’s fourth most-faced opponent ever, after only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton. In 115 matches, Leeds have won 54 and lost just 26. Last season, Daniel Farke’s team did the double over the Rams. United won 2-0 at Elland Road thanks to goals from Joe Rodon and Max Wöber and took the reverse fixture 1-0 after Brenden Aaronson slotted home to finish off a beautiful team move.

Looking Ahead

The victory represents an important return to form for Leeds following their dramatic 4-3 Premier League defeat to Newcastle United in midweek. The visitors sealed a deserved win in stoppage time when substitute James Justin finished off a counterattack as his team took their place in the hat for Monday evening’s fourth-round draw. For Derby, despite the defeat, they can take encouragement from a competitive first-half performance against top-flight opposition as they continue their Championship campaign.