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

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

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied following the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. 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 authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our players in the game 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 fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and moving back up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

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