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

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds suffered four successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward 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 period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"