🔗 Share this article

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize 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 a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and moving up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," the manager added

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"