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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell 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 fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have performed 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 came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

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