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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back following the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new directions during the two minutes the game 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 rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their current form and climbing up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

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

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