Norwich City boss David Wagner explains Elland Road plan failure as Leeds United romp to Wembley

David Wagner said his Norwich City side played right into Elland Road's hands with mistakes and early concessions in a 4-0 beating by Leeds United.

The Whites scored twice inside the opening 20 minutes, Ilia Gruev catching Angus Gunn out with a clever free-kick and Joel Piroe heading in from Willy Gnonto's cross.

With the stadium rocking, Leeds poured it on and grabbed a third through Georginio Rutter before the break. Crysencio Summerville's second half goal completed the rout but it could easily have been a far more humbling scoreline for the Canaries.

"It is disappointing," said Wagner. "Obviously a poor performance from us, Leeds were very good. Everything which you should not do we have done. We conceded very easy avoidable goal very early.

“The second one as well was an absolutely predictable situation. We switched off for a second and got punished. We had the situation with Josh [Sargent] where we can maybe get some positive energy back and then we concede the third. In the duels we were second best and it's a very disappointing evening, end of the season as well.

“Against Leeds away you have to stay in the game as long as you can and then you can get something, we've done more or less the opposite, conceding early, conceding three in one half, this is more or less impossible to turn around."

Wagner's men held out for a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road on Sunday amid an impressive atmosphere, but it was far from the white-hot cauldron that Elland Road became shortly before kick-off. And rather than introducing nerves or quietening the crowd, Norwich contrived to do just the opposite, much to Wagner's disappointment.

"You never know what occasions like this make with individuals," he said. "Tonight we were poor. It was a huge one, great occasion where we were not able to come to our level unfortunately. This is one reason, the other is we have to say the truth, Leeds were very good.

“If you consider where we've come from last season, finished 13th, now made a step, finished in the play-offs, competitive in the first leg, absolutely not competitive in the second, against a very good Leeds side. Everyone has seen what they are capable of doing, with a lot of problems we have seen this season. Everyone has seen the difference tonight between Leeds United and us.

"We have known how [Elland Road] will be, this was not a surprise. Unfortunately we extend their energy with the mistakes we've done and the goals which Leeds United scored."