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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands 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 regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

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

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this display with the way they have played in this second half"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"