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

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows 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 regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less top-flight goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to earn the results," Farke continued

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

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