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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? 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 hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

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

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"