🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Rule-Bending in Tight Victory Against Leeds - Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury during the second period of their Premier League encounter Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at the Etihad The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the interval Second-Half Comeback Thwarted However, the visitors fought back after the break after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for "Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated "It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited" "If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term Strategic Adjustments Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players "During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden "We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right" Encouraging Signs for Leeds United The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main feeling is frustration", their second period display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their current form and moving up the table "To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added "We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room" Expert Opinion Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half" "Leeds can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second half" "Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"