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

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation

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

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

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"