🔗 Share this article Man City Accused of Gamesmanship in Narrow Victory Over Leeds United - Daniel Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke felt Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an injury during the second period of their top-flight clash Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break Second Period Revival Denied However, the visitors fought back after the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for "Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated "It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution" Coach's Disappointment "I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our options are limited" "Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Late Winner Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term Strategic Changes Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players "At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden "We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right" Positive Aspects for Leeds United The most recent time Leeds lost four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and moving up the table "Displaying such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the results," the manager continued "We had the belief before the game, during the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room" Pundit Opinion Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half" "Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period" "Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"