🔗 Share this article Manchester City Accused of Gamesmanship in Tight Win Against Leeds United - Farke Leeds manager Daniel Farke believed Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock in the second period of their top-flight encounter Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break Second-Half Revival Denied Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game 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 bounds of the regulations. It is clever. 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 resolution" Coach's Frustration "I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited" "Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain" Late Winner Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this term Tactical Adjustments Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad "During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," said Foden "We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their present form and moving back up the standings "Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager added "We possessed the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room" Pundit Analysis Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second half" "Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"