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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

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

And with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit 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"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in regards 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 allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

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

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the belief before the game, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second period"

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

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