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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, Leeds fought back following the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. 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 authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt 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 allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

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

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

However, while Farke said that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period display provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"