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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms 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 talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil 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. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and moving back up the table

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

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

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second period"

"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 physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"