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

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

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

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough proof to suggest they are able of arresting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the way they have played in this second half"

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

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