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

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play 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 approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second period display offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the game and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

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