Joe Hart has come to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s defense following Manchester City’s 3-2 victory over Leeds United, despite criticism from Daniel Farke. The thrilling match at the Etihad Stadium saw Phil Foden net a late winner for City, leaving Leeds in a precarious position in the Premier League standings as they head into December.
Tim Sherwood’s assertion that Farke will face the axe in the near future, coupled with the upcoming challenging fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool, has intensified the pressure on the Leeds manager. Following the match, Farke expressed frustration at Man City’s perceived time-wasting tactics to disrupt Leeds’ momentum when the home side had taken the lead.
Farke’s criticism extended to allegations of unsportsmanlike behavior, particularly focusing on Ruben Dias signaling for Donnarumma to feign injury to allow for a quick team meeting. This tactic, deemed by Keith Hackett as “cheating,” drew strong reactions from the Leeds boss, who called for greater adherence to fair play in football and sought intervention from the authorities to address such practices.
On Match of the Day, Joe Hart and Danny Murphy offered contrasting views on the incident. While Murphy dismissed it as a “tactical meeting,” Hart defended Donnarumma’s actions, highlighting the complex nature of injury scenarios in matches and implying Farke’s lack of authority to comment on players’ fitness.
As Leeds face a challenging period in the league, sitting in 18th place after their defeat, the pressure on Farke continues to mount. With fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool looming, the embattled manager faces a crucial juncture in the season, where strong results could determine his future at the club. The uncertainty surrounding Leeds’ performance and Farke’s position adds to the intrigue as the club navigates through a critical phase in their Premier League campaign.
Even Foden said they couldn’t cope with Leeds until they had a “little break” when the manager got them all together and readapted tactics. Also,what’s with the fourth official, on being queried about it saying there was nothing he could do, his hands were tied…something smells wrong.