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

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period display offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

"Leeds United 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 responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

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