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Leeds 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 got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

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

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