đŸ”— Share this article Manchester City Alleged of Gamesmanship in Tight Win Against Leeds - Daniel Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believed Man City shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma simulated an knock in the second period of their Premier League encounter Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the break following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for "Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented "This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution" Manager's Disappointment "I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our options are limited" "If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain" Late Winner Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this season Tactical Changes However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad "During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden "We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right" Positive Signs for Leeds The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of halting their current form and climbing up the table "To show such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," the manager continued "We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room" Pundit Opinion Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period" "Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs" "It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"