🔗 Share this article Manchester City Accused of Gamesmanship in Narrow Win Over Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds boss Daniel Farke felt Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock during the second half of their Premier League encounter Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval Second Period Revival Denied However, Leeds rallied following the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds play was halted for "Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented "It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied" "Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Late Winner Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League goals this term Strategic Changes Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden "We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections" Positive Aspects for Leeds The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings "Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," the manager continued "We had the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room" Pundit Opinion Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"