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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever 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 like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and climbing up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"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 criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"