BBC pundit furious with Leeds incident: ‘It’s cheating, it shouldn’t have been allowed to happen’
Shay Given couldn’t believe that Pep Guardiola was allowed a mini tactical break when Gianluigi Donnarumma went down injured against Leeds on Saturday.
Leeds were beaten 3-2 by Man City in a game where the Whites almost caused the upset of the weekend.
Despite trailing 2-0 at halftime, Leeds fought back and brought the game level in the second half.
But before this, Donnarumma allegedly faked an injury so that Guardiola could deliver instructions to his side.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett slammed Man City for the incident, and further opinion has now been revealed.
Given, who is an active pundit for BBC Sport for the 2025-26 season, has spoken out after the match, saying, “It’s cheating” in the modern game.
Shay Given said Man City ‘bent the rules’ vs Leeds
Leeds are in a battle for Premier League survival, and they need decisions to go for them, not against.
Daniel Farke is under severe pressure to deliver results, but at one point, it looked like the Whites were going to beat City.
- Leeds created three big chances against Man City
- The created 1.54 xG
- A stoppage-time goal from Phil Foden meant Leeds brought nothing back to LS11
While speaking on The Good, The Bad, & The Football podcast, former Man City goalkeeper Given thought his old side cheated to try and gain an advantage over the Whites.
Given said: “It’s bending the rules or whatever you want to call it. It’s cheating.
“If it does happen, the last thing Pep should be allowed to do is bring the whole team in and get the tactical board out, but that’s exactly what happened.”
Leeds did what they could, but at the end of the day, they had nothing to show from the game but a positive performance.
- Read more: Leeds United face further relegation fight setback in crushing new Dan James injury update
Leeds showed they can take down big sides
The Peacocks now face another difficult stretch of fixtures in a time when Farke could really do with more favourable games.
Next up for Leeds are Chelsea and Liverpool at Elland Road, but if the clash versus City has taught us anything, it’s that the Whites can battle against big sides.
It might seem impossible for results from a Leeds perspective, but the Whites could be a total banana skin for Chelsea and Liverpool.
The Reds are going through their worst period yet under Arne Slot and a result cannot be ruled out.
The Blues will be without key man Moises Caicedo to play Leeds, with Cole Palmer yet to return to full fitness.
Leeds still have a chance.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@motleedsnews