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

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied following the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. 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"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

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

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing back up the standings

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

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

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