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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put two up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

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

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and climbing up the table

"To show such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"