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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four straight successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their current run and climbing up the table

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

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked 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 evening"