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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury 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"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and climbing up the table

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"