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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 scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone 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 bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

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