🔗 Share this article

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied following the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, 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 stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and after the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"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 City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"