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

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

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

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

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

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