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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

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

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

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

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

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

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence before the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the manner 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 came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"