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

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

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

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"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 like it? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

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