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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-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 scored less top-flight goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds suffered four consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive 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 Manchester City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"