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

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

And with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within 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 questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

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

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"