🔗 Share this article

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

And with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds suffered four successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We had the belief before the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"