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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt 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 allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the points," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"