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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

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

And with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided enough proof to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

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

"We had the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

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

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