🔗 Share this article Manchester City Alleged of Rule-Bending in Tight Victory Against Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds United manager Daniel Farke felt Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock during the second half of their top-flight clash Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at the Etihad Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval Second-Half Revival Denied However, the visitors fought back following the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption And with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for "Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented "It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution" Manager's Frustration "I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied" "If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this term Strategic Adjustments Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden "We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United The last time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table "To show such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added "We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room" Expert Opinion Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second half" "Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders" "It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"