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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main feeling is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

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

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

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