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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," 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 like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our main feeling is frustration", their second-half display offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing up the standings

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

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

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

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

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

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"