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

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to 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 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 sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

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

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"