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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever 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 myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"