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

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion

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

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played 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 physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"