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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and changed the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to win the points," Farke added

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

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"