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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 fixture at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, Leeds fought back after the break after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even 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

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

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

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present form and moving up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," Farke continued

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable 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 ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"