🔗 Share this article

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"