🔗 Share this article Man City Accused of Gamesmanship in Tight Victory Over Leeds - Farke Leeds boss Daniel Farke felt Manchester City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury in the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break Second-Half Revival Denied However, Leeds rallied after the interval following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for "Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented "This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited" "Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain" Late Deciding Goal Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this term Tactical Adjustments However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden "We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right" Positive Aspects for Leeds The most recent time Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving back up the standings "Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the points," the manager added "We possessed the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room" Expert Analysis Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half" "Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way they have performed in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs" "It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"