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

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, Leeds rallied after the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

"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 frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

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