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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their current run and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

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