🔗 Share this article

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"