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Leeds manager 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 made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. 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 reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display provided enough evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the standings

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"