🔗 Share this article

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

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

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing up the table

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

"We had the confidence before the game, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

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