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

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

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

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main feeling is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

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