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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

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

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"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 bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

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

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main feeling is disappointment", their second-half display provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned 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 might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"