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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new directions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury 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 have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, during the fixture and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

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