Leeds United manager Daniel Farke accused Manchester City of exploiting a stoppage during their 3-2 Premier League victory on Saturday, suggesting goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma may have feigned injury to allow Pep Guardiola to give fresh instructions.

City surged ahead with early goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol within the first 25 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, but Leeds responded when Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back in the 49th minute.

A few minutes later, Donnarumma requested medical attention, giving Guardiola an opportunity to huddle with his players.

“It’s not the elephant in the room. Why he went down was obvious. It’s smart,” Farke told reporters after the match. “It’s within the rules, so I can’t complain. Do I like it? Within the sense of fair play? I’ll keep that to myself. It’s up to the authorities to find a solution.”

City’s tactical tweak didn’t pay off immediately, as Lukas Nmecha leveled for Leeds in the 69th minute after his penalty was saved by Donnarumma. However, City rallied late, with Foden netting his second goal in the 91st minute to secure all three points.

“We need to educate our players on fair play and sportsmanship,” Farke added. “Trying to bend the rules, even with a fake injury for an extra team talk, is something I personally do not like.”

The win lifted City to 25 points from 13 games, narrowing the gap to league leaders Arsenal to four points. Guardiola’s side will next host Fulham in a midweek fixture on Tuesday.