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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion

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

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

"We had the confidence before the game, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have performed 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 physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"