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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 match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"