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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, Leeds rallied following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't 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 in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put two up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present form and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the results," the manager continued

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"