🔗 Share this article Manchester City Accused of Gamesmanship in Narrow Win Over Leeds United - Farke Leeds United manager Daniel Farke believed Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock during the second period of their top-flight encounter Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break Second-Half Comeback Thwarted Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for "Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented "This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution" Coach's Disappointment "I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied" "If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Winner Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight goals this term Strategic Changes Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players "During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden "We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and climbing back up the standings "Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued "We had the belief before the game, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room" Pundit Opinion Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way they have played in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs" "It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"