Leeds United came out of Saturday’s game against Manchester City with a defeat, but there were some positives from the game. Daniel Farke may have found a bright spot in this losing run of games.
The home side had a 2-0 lead at half time, with Phil Foden opening the scoring in the first five minutes of the game, and Josko Gvardiol adding another one before the break. Farke did something unusual this match, making some changes at half fime as his side chased the game.
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On came Jaka Bijol and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and within minutes these changes had an impact on the game. Just five minutes into the second period, Calvert-Lewin pounced on some poor defending from Matheus Nunes to pull one goal back. Leeds then continued to mount the pressure, until City keeper Donnarumma went down with an injury, allowing his side to recoup and have a team talk on the touchline.
The Whites equalized from the spot late in the game, with Calvert-Lewin drawing a penalty. Lukas Nmecha converted, and the team held their own and almost saw out the result. But just into added time, Phil Foden once again stepped up with the winner.
Leeds United star set for spell on the sidelines
After the heart-breaking loss, Daniel Farke called out City for their delay tactics when their goalkeeper went down. He said the hosts ‘bent the rules’ and called out the incident.
Farke now has more to worry about as Dan James picked up another hamstring injury in the game. The Leeds boss confirmed this to BBC Radio Leeds after the match:
“Dan James reported some hamstring injuries at half time so it could be that he has done his hamstring.
“We have to wait for further assessment. It didn’t look too good so it could be he is out for a while.”
The Welsh winger will join Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach on the sidelines, with the fixture schedule growing more difficult with each game.
Leeds are in a terrible situation
The Whites face Chelsea next with games against Liverpool and Brentford in the coming weeks. And now with three players out, the task becomes even more daunting. Farke knows what is needed to get even a point from the next three games, and losing these key players will only make things difficult.
On the bright side, the team that ended the Manchester City game should start the next match – the performance they had showed some promise. If Leeds are to turn their season around, last weekend’s defeat could be the catalyst.
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