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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, the visitors fought back following the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. 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 governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time 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 feeling is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," Farke continued

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the way 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 physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"