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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "their main feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the results," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised 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 pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"