🔗 Share this article Man City Accused of Gamesmanship in Tight Victory Over Leeds United - Daniel Farke Leeds boss Daniel Farke felt Manchester City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury during the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval Second Period Revival Denied However, Leeds fought back after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for "Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated "This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution" Manager's Disappointment "I ask the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our hands are tied" "If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Winner Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term Tactical Changes Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players "During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Foden "We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Signs for Leeds The most recent time Leeds lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation However, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing back up the standings "To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the results," Farke added "We possessed the belief prior to the match, during the game and after the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room" Pundit Analysis Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half" "Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second half" "Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs" "It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"