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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper 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 start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands 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 smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough proof to suggest they are able of arresting their current run and moving up the table

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

"We had the belief before the match, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

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