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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back after the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put two up top and altered the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and moving back up the table

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

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"