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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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody 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 bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of halting their present run and moving back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and after the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"