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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the break following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver new directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and altered the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

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