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

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back following the break following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their situation

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

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief before the game, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory 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 performed in this second half"

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

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