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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back after the interval after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League goals this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

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

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"