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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense 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"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"