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

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, Leeds fought back after the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and climbing up the table

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

"We had the confidence prior to the match, during the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"