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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

And with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

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

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance offered enough proof to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"