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

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this display with the way they have performed in this second period"

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

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"