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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. 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 determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, 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 injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of arresting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way they have played in this second half"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"