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Leeds head coach 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 finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, the visitors fought back after the interval following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation

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

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," the manager added

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"