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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied after the interval following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds United 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 responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"