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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

And with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense 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 Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present run and moving up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the results," the manager added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the game and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"