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

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

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

And with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are able of arresting their present run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," the manager added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"