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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new directions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should 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 hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their current form and climbing back up the table

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

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

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"