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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 fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"