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

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back after the break after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough proof to indicate they are able of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," the manager continued

"We had the belief prior to the match, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

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

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