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

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, Leeds fought back after the interval after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

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

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"