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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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. 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 make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered enough proof to indicate they are able of halting their current run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, 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 massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"