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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

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

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? 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 authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period display provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their present form and moving up the standings

"To show such a display should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second period"

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

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"