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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied following the interval after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

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

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

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

"Leeds can take a lot from this display 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 came on and roughed up the City defenders"

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