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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied following the break following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with 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 moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra 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 Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together 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"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody 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 performance with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Following that were 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 could be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"