🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Tight Victory Over Leeds United - Daniel Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believed Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock in the second period of their Premier League clash Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval Second-Half Revival Thwarted However, the visitors rallied after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for "Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated "This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution" Manager's Frustration "I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied" "If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Late Deciding Goal Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League strikes this season Strategic Changes However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad "At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden "We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections" Encouraging Signs for Leeds The last time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with relegation However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the table "To show such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," the manager continued "We possessed the belief prior to the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room" Expert Opinion Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half" "Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second half" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"