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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 top-flight fixture at the Etihad

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

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

Strategic Changes

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the game, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"