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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new directions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone 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 rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

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

"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 formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

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

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"