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

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within 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 governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their present form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief before the game, during the game and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

"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 frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"