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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. 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 up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship 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 additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

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

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current run and moving back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"