🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Rule-Bending in Tight Victory Over Leeds United - Farke Leeds boss Daniel Farke felt Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock in the second period of their Premier League encounter Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the interval Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was halted for "Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated "It is not 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 sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I ask the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited" "If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term Strategic Changes However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players "During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden "We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Signs for Leeds United The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their current form and climbing back up the table "Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," the manager continued "We had the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room" Expert Analysis Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs" "It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"