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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 top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back following the break following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands 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 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 find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt 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"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"