Daniel Farke makes brutal accusation against Norwich City over Ao Tanaka after Leeds United win

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Leeds United got the job done against Daniel Farke’s old side Norwich City on Wednesday night but it could have been very different, with the game not without controversy.

Daniel Farke took on his old club Norwich for the sixth time as Leeds manager. Last season, Leeds played Norwich on four different occasions – twice in the regular Championship season, twice in the play-offs.

Farke watched Leeds win three times and draw the first leg of the play-offs against Norwich while this season, Leeds drew at Carrow Road 1-1. On Wednesday night, The Whites secured a comfortable 2-0 win.

Norwich had their injury issues and while the Canaries enjoyed decent possession and territory, they never really troubled Illan Meslier. A 17th league win, but Ao Tanaka might have seen red on another day.

• READ MORE: What Stuart Dallas said about Dan James after his seventh goal of the season

Daniel Farke addresses potential Ao Tanaka red card on LUTV

Tanaka jumped into a tackle while on a yellow card in the second half and shortly after, Farke pulled the Japan star off the pitch in order to avoid him seeing red. Johannes Hoff Thorup was not happy with it.

Indeed on Tanaka coming off, Thorup sarcastically tried to whip up the Elland Road support by throwing his arms in the air. Speaking after the game, Farke accused Norwich of targeting the “naive” Tanaka.

“They didn’t create anything. The only thing that could happen – they have a few experienced players on the pitch like McLean, Stacey – they need to do something to provoke a yellow, red card,” Farke explained.

“Their only chance of getting back in the game. Then you have Ao Tanaka, first season in English football, a bit naive perhaps. He didn’t deserve to be sent off, it was not one brutal foul – just two fouls.

“But they are experienced players and they rolled around and tried to get him sent off. In his [Tanaka] first season in English football, it is important to protect him,” Farke told LUTV’s Matchday Live after full-time.

How does the Championship table now look as Leeds win again?

All four sides that are in the race for automatic promotion picked up midweek wins. On Tuesday night, Sheffield United came from behind to beat 10-man Swansea City while Sunderland beat Derby away.

Then on Wednesday night, Leeds went 11 games unbeaten with a 17th league win from 28 games and even more remarkably, an 18th clean sheet. Burnley went to Plymouth and secured a huge 5-0 victory.

It means Leeds are top again by a point, ahead of second-placed Sheffield United. Farke’s men find themselves three ahead of third-placed Burnley and five in front of Sunderland – ahead of next Monday.