🔗 Share this article Man City Alleged of Rule-Bending in Narrow Victory Over Leeds - Farke Leeds United boss Daniel Farke felt Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury in the second period of their top-flight clash Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new directions in the two minutes play was stopped for "Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented "This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. 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 authorities to determine a solution" Manager's Frustration "I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited" "Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint" Late Deciding Goal Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this term Tactical Changes Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision 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 regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad "During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Foden "We really struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right" Encouraging Signs for Leeds United The last time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing up the table "Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added "We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room" Pundit Analysis Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half" "Leeds can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second period" "Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive 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' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"