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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 got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put two up top and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their current form and climbing up the standings

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We had the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"