🔗 Share this article Man City Accused of Rule-Bending in Tight Victory Against Leeds United - Farke Leeds manager Daniel Farke felt Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an knock during the second period of their top-flight encounter Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break Second Period Comeback Denied Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for "Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke commented "It is not 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 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" Coach's Disappointment "I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited" "If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint" Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this term Tactical Adjustments Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their situation Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad "At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden "We really struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections" Encouraging Aspects for Leeds The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with relegation Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main feeling is frustration", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and climbing up the table "Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke added "We possessed the belief before the match, during the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room" Expert Analysis Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for 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 performed in this second period" "Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders" "It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"