Leeds United were dealt a huge blow in their pursuit for safety on Saturday night. They lost just their second game at Elland Road in the Premier League since December.
The Whites’ impressive home record could not triumph when they came up against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s men had their eye on the title race, pushing to close the gap to Arsenal. Many would say that on the night, Leeds deserved something from the game but unfortunately only one side was able to convert their chances.
Antoine Semenyo tapped in a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri just before the first half to seal the game. There was a lot of frustration among the home fans, especially after Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brenden Aaronson missed big chances.
Former referee questions incident in Leeds United game
One of the biggest talking points in the game came when the ball struck Matheus Nunes’ arms while City were defending a set piece. There was no call made on the field, and Peter Bankes did not consult VAR for the incident. Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has questioned why the incident was not reviewed:
“The arm is not in a natural position. The ball strikes the arm, so it’s either one that the referee should see or VAR should have referred it to him to have another look.” he said, speaking to Football Insider.
“What’s it doing so high in the air? I think referees are confused about what is or isn’t handball. If the player is trying to get out of the way, that’s different.
“In a game of such nature, you can understand Daniel Farke’s approach. I was a bit surprised by the referee’s reaction to produce a red card so prematurely.
“We could only see Farke’s back, so we couldn’t see at what point he was expressing his concerns. But in an environment like that, you have to have a tolerance level.”
Game was marred by controversy
The refereeing eventually became the main topic of the game for no reason. In what was a very good match between two teams that could have gone either way, the talking points have been about the match officials. How the referees did not review the possible foul before City’s goal was bizarre. That alongside other decisions in the game is why Leeds fans felt frustrated.
Matheus Nunes’ incident did not go to the big screen to be checked, and neither was Rayan Cherki’s stamp on Gruev. What escalated the issue was at the end of the game when Farke was sent off for complaining about the time wasting. Hopefully, Leeds United can bounce back against Sunderland on Tuesday.
