Leeds United goalkeeper Lucas Perri emerged as the penalty shootout hero despite his pre-match research being rendered useless by Birmingham City's missing player numbers. The Brazilian stopper denied Tommy Doyle and benefited from Patrick Roberts' miss over the bar to secure Leeds' fourth-round FA Cup victory. Perri's notes, which suggested Roberts would shoot to his left, proved irrelevant when he couldn't identify players during the shootout.

Perri had entered the match as Leeds' new No. 1 after their promotion to the Premier League but had lost his starting position following criticism from manager Daniel Farke after conceding the winning goal in a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United in January. Karl Darlow replaced him but Perri was reinstated for the FA Cup tie and made several crucial saves, including a first-half stop from Jay Stansfield. The match ended 1-1 after Lukas Nmecha's goal was cancelled out by Roberts, forcing the shootout.

Sean Longstaff, who scored the winning penalty for Leeds, praised Perri's performance throughout the match. The midfielder acknowledged the difficulty of FA Cup ties against lower-division opponents, noting that Birmingham City played excellently despite the final result. Perri emphasized the importance of self-confidence regardless of results, hoping to maintain his form after this crucial victory.