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

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied after the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

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

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to win the points," the manager continued

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

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