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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper 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 inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

And with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented 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 little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and moving up the table

"To show such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the results," Farke added

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"