Daniel Farke angry with referee after Leeds decision that could hurt Liverpool

Daniel Farke admitted he had to “be careful” with his words after questioning referee Chris Kavanagh’s decisions during Leeds United’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool — a result that could yet have implications in the race for Champions League qualification.

Leeds earned a hard-fought point at Anfield on New Year’s Day, frustrating the Premier League champions with a disciplined and resilient display. However, the mood in the away camp was tempered by the booking shown to Ethan Ampadu in the second half, a decision that left Farke visibly frustrated after full-time.

Ampadu was shown a yellow card for handball during the second half, his fifth caution of the league season. The suspension means the midfielder will now miss Leeds’ upcoming visit to Manchester United, a game with potential knock-on effects at the top end of the table.

Speaking after the match, Farke made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

“I have to calm myself down because I am still struggling to accept that,” he said. “When I see in the first half the foul situation against Anton Stach not given — more or less an instinctive free-kick, never a yellow card — and then to give Ethan a yellow… I have to be a bit careful.”

The Leeds head coach also questioned the amount of stoppage time added at the end of the game, suggesting several decisions went against his side during a contest already short on fluency.

Despite his frustration with the officials, Farke was keen to praise his players for executing the game plan to near perfection. A heavily rotated Leeds side limited Liverpool to very few clear-cut chances and showed composure throughout long spells without the ball.

“It was always clear that it would need a special performance today to come away with a point,” Farke said. “New Year’s Day at Anfield is always a special atmosphere against the Premier League champions, unbeaten since November, and to travel here without several key players, we had to show resilience and organised structure.”

Leeds also enjoyed brief moments of pressure, including a surprising flurry of early corners.

“After five minutes we had three corners,” Farke added. “Normally you can play 90 minutes here and not get three corners.”

Farke highlighted the collective effort from his squad, with several regular starters unavailable. He stressed that the performance underlined the importance of depth as Leeds navigate a demanding Premier League schedule.

“Today was proof that we need every player to chip in,” he said. “There were some impressive individual performances under the circumstances.”

While the point lifted morale, the absence of Ampadu for the Manchester United fixture is a blow Farke clearly feels could have been avoided.

Leeds now turn their focus to the weekend clash with Manchester United, where they will be without Ampadu due to suspension. Farke must reshuffle his midfield, while Liverpool will look to bounce back quickly as they continue to manage pressure from rivals in the title and Champions League races.

Was Ethan Ampadu’s booking harsh — and could that decision yet have a wider impact on the Premier League’s top-four battle?