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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, 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 regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the formation a little bit," commented Foden

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

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of arresting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the match, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

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

"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 criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"