🔗 Share this article

Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the setup a bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"To show such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

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