🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Narrow Win Against Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke felt Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury in the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at the Etihad Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval Second-Half Comeback Thwarted However, the visitors fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the two minutes play was stopped for "Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated "It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution" Coach's Frustration "I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited" "Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Late Deciding Goal Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this term Strategic Adjustments Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden "We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right" Positive Signs for Leeds The last time Leeds United suffered four successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and moving back up the table "Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager added "We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room" Expert Opinion Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period" "Leeds can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second half" "Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"