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Leeds United 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 the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief before the game, during the game and after the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"