🔗 Share this article Manchester City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Tight Win Against Leeds United - Daniel Farke Leeds manager Daniel Farke believed Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock in the second half of their top-flight encounter Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break Second-Half Comeback Thwarted Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for "Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented "It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution" Coach's Frustration "I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied" "Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Winner Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this season Tactical Changes Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players "During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden "We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United The last occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and moving up the table "Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke added "We had the belief before the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room" Pundit Opinion Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second period" "Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"