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

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied after the break after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty 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 crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the results," the manager continued

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for 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 played in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"