🔗 Share this article

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the break after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new directions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards 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 additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"