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

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

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

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody knows 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 rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the match, throughout the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy 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 criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

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