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

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied after the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new instructions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and changed the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present run and moving up the table

"To show such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," the manager added

"We had the confidence prior to the match, during the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"