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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

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

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

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

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"