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

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers 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 order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted 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 suffered four consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run 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 chance to earn the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"