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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new directions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

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

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers 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 even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current form and moving up the standings

"To show such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the results," Farke added

"We had the belief prior to the match, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"