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

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

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

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the table

"To show such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the belief before the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played 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 came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"