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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

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

And with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. 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 up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the results," the manager added

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

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win 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 manner they have played in this second half"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"