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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 match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, 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, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"