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

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, Leeds fought back following the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone understands 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 clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"