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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, Leeds fought back after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

And with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? 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 Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

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

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and moving up the table

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

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the game and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

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