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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, Leeds rallied after the break following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. 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"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of halting their present form and climbing up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"