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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference 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 altered the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current run and moving up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"