Manchester City’s dramatic 3–2 victory over Leeds United on Saturday has been overshadowed by a fresh Premier League controversy after Leeds boss Daniel Farke publicly accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to secure a tactical timeout at a critical moment of the match.
The flashpoint came moments after Leeds launched a stunning second-half resurgence, scoring twice to level the contest and rattle a City side that had collapsed under sustained pressure. As Leeds pushed for a third goal, Donnarumma suddenly went to ground, prompting the referee to halt play while the Italian received on-pitch treatment.
During the pause — lasting almost two minutes — Pep Guardiola immediately gathered his players at the touchline, issuing rapid-fire tactical instructions that realigned City into a new defensive shape. The shift helped City regain control and, minutes later, Phil Foden produced a late winner that spared the champions from a damaging home setback.
Farke, however, was furious.
“Everyone knows why he went down,” the Leeds manager said pointedly.
“If it’s within the rules, it’s smart. But if this is fair play, I have my doubts. They bent the rules to get a full tactical talk. Our hands are tied.”
The German coach stopped short of calling for sanctions but insisted that the Premier League and IFAB must address the growing trend of tactical injury stoppages — where goalkeepers, exempt from mandatory off-field treatment rules, become the loophole.
The incident reignited debate around existing laws: injured outfield players must leave the pitch after treatment, but goalkeepers are exempt. That exemption, Farke argued, allows teams to orchestrate “unofficial team talks” during moments of pressure.
City, for their part, denied wrongdoing.
Guardiola insisted Donnarumma was genuinely in discomfort and claimed he immediately asked backup goalkeeper James Trafford to start warming up.
“I didn’t speak with Gigio yet,” Guardiola said.
“When I saw him go down, I told James to get ready. I thought it was a real injury.”
But Phil Foden, speaking moments after scoring the decisive 91st-minute goal, admitted the sideline huddle following Donnarumma’s stoppage was decisive.
“We struggled with their changes. When there was that short break, the manager got us together and adjusted our press. Things got better from there.”
Leeds had transformed the match with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s disruptive introduction, forcing errors from City’s back line and setting the stage for Lukas Nmecha’s equaliser. Farke praised his team’s resilience, calling their second half “a performance full of belief, spirit and courage.”
Yet the sting of defeat — and the manner of it — left the Leeds dressing room simmering.
Analysts have suggested that while City did not break any laws, the episode exposes a structural weakness in the rules that top managers are now exploiting. Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy noted that “a tiny tweak” from IFAB could stop the practice immediately, suggesting that an outfield player should be forced off when a goalkeeper receives treatment to prevent tactical misuse.
City’s victory moves them to second in the Premier League table, but the debate around fairness, gamesmanship and the boundaries of football’s injury protocols is likely to intensify in the coming days.
