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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and climbing up the standings

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

"We possessed the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"