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

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

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

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager added

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

Expert Analysis

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

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the way they have performed in this second period"

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

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"