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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new directions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

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

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

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

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold 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 little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second period display offered enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the match, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester 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 performed in this second half"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"