đź”— Share this article Manchester City Accused of Gamesmanship in Narrow Victory Over Leeds United - Daniel Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke felt Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an injury in the second period of their top-flight clash Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at the Etihad The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break Second-Half Comeback Denied Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes the game was halted for "Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented "It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution" Manager's Frustration "I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to do something. Our hands are tied" "Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain" Late Winner Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season Tactical Changes Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable 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 two in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Foden "We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections" Positive Aspects for Leeds United The most recent time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with relegation Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and moving up the standings "To show such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," the manager added "We possessed the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room" Expert Analysis Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period" "Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs" "It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"