🔗 Share this article Manchester City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Narrow Win Against Leeds United - Farke Leeds manager Daniel Farke believed Manchester City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock during the second period of their top-flight encounter Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for "Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented "This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution" Coach's Frustration "I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited" "If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season Strategic Changes However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players "At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden "We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United The most recent time Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion However, while Farke said that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their current run and moving up the standings "To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added "We had the confidence prior to the game, throughout the game and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room" Expert Opinion Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half" "Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way 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 ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders" "It appeared like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"