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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back following the break after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

And with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions 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 fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

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

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

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 Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are able of halting their current run and moving back up the standings

"To show such a display should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the belief prior to the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"