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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied after the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new instructions in 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 went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough proof to suggest they are able of arresting their current run and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We had the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"