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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just 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 rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden

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

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough proof to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and climbing back up the standings

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

"We possessed the belief before the match, throughout the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"