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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 Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the game and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

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

"Leeds United can take a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second half"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"