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

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"