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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight match at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost turned around 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

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough proof to indicate they are able of arresting their current run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"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 roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"