🔗 Share this article

Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new directions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current run and moving back up the standings

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

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this display with the way they have performed in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should 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 United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"