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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back following the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes 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 obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

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

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"