🔗 Share this article Manchester City Accused of Gamesmanship in Narrow Win Over Leeds - Farke Leeds United manager Daniel Farke felt Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an injury during the second period of their Premier League encounter Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight fixture at the Etihad Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the interval Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for "Everyone knows why he collapsed," 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 in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution" Coach's Disappointment "I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited" "If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Late Deciding Goal Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this season Strategic Adjustments Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players "At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and changed the formation a bit," said Foden "We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds The most recent time Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation However, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the table "To show such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke added "We possessed the confidence before the game, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room" Pundit Analysis Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"