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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody understands 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 clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

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 regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

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

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and moving back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the results," Farke continued

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"