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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. 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 authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered enough evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from 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 criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

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