🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Tight Victory Over Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds United manager Daniel Farke believed Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock in the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break Second-Half Revival Thwarted However, Leeds rallied following the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the two minutes play was stopped for "Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated "It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited" "Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Late Deciding Goal Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight goals this term Tactical Adjustments However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad "During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden "We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections" Positive Aspects for Leeds The last occasion Leeds United lost four successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and moving back up the standings "Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager added "We possessed the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room" Expert Analysis Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period" "Leeds can take a lot from this display 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 responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"