🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Narrow Victory Over Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds boss Daniel Farke believed Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an injury in the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at the Etihad The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break Second-Half Comeback Denied Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the break following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for "Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented "It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution" Coach's Frustration "I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited" "If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Late Winner Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term Tactical Adjustments Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his players "At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden "We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Signs for Leeds The last time Leeds suffered four successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing back up the standings "To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," the manager continued "We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room" Pundit Opinion Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half" "Leeds can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second period" "Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs" "It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"