'Not sitting on the sofa biting my nails' - Daniel Farke supremely confident Leeds United won't be relegated from Premier League

Addressing the pressure of the relegation scrap, Farke said: "I don’t panic at all, I am calm as always, why should I be nervous? It (the defeat to Sunderland) was the first disappointing night at Elland Road in months, saying this we were playing against a team now on 40 points, we had 72 per cent possession, we asked questions, clear penalty for us not given, our first goal disallowed by VAR, penalty for them somehow went in. If we played this game 20 times I guarantee we win it 16 times, of course a but missing but we weren’t played off the park, why should I worry?"

While the FA Cup offers a welcome distraction and a potential route to Wembley, Farke is under no illusions about where the primary focus lies. The manager acknowledged that while he isn't obsessing over the results of rivals like West Ham, Tottenham, or Nottingham Forest, he knows exactly what his team needs to do to ensure they remain in the division for another season and is demanding his players prove they belong at the highest level.

"I am not sitting on my sofa biting my nails for West Ham or Nottingham [Forest] or Tottenham to lose, perhaps it’s a season where you need one or two more points more than normal but we need seven to nine points, that’s a fact, and in these last games we have all chances to win these points but even in the next three games we have chances. If we don’t do this with the last six games then we don’t deserve to play in the PL but everything I have seen has given me lots of confidence," Farke added.

The immediate task for Leeds is a home clash against a revitalised Norwich City side, managed by Philippe Clement. The Canaries have been in blistering form in the Championship, winning 10 of their last 15 matches. For Farke, the tie carries personal significance given his successful history at Carrow Road, though he insists sentimentality will be pushed aside once the whistle blows at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

Reflecting on the reunion, Farke remarked: "Of course, Norwich gave me my first opportunity in the UK, it will always have a special place in my heart but my only focus now is on my club here, I have full trust in my players and my staff. To be honest in the cup competition it is just about the winner, this would make a big difference, to win a league or a cup is something special, I like the atmosphere of do or die games, I am not sure if it changes my CV that much if we get to the quarters or the semis but for all of us it would if we win it. Let’s not get carried away, we have to do their job against a very good Norwich side, we have to focus on just this game."

Leeds will have to navigate the cup tie without Farke on the touchline after he accepted a one-match suspension and an £8,000 fine for a confrontation with officials following the Manchester City match.