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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

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

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"