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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

And with City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point 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 sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt 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"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"