🔗 Share this article Manchester City Alleged of Rule-Bending in Tight Win Over Leeds United - Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke felt Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock in the second period of their top-flight clash Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break Second-Half Revival Thwarted However, the visitors rallied after the break following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for "Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented "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 approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution" Manager's Frustration "I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our options are limited" "Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term Tactical Changes Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden "We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections" Positive Signs for Leeds United The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and moving back up the standings "To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke continued "We had the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room" Expert Opinion Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second half" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders" "It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"