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

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

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

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke continued

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

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

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