đź”— Share this article Man City Accused of Gamesmanship in Tight Victory Over Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds manager Daniel Farke believed Manchester City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock during the second half of their Premier League clash Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break Second-Half Revival Denied Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the 120 seconds play was halted for "Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented "It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution" Manager's Frustration "I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied" "Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just 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 within the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season Strategic Changes Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad "At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden "We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their present form and moving up the standings "To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added "We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room" Expert Analysis Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds can derive a lot from this performance 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 responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"