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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the half-time break

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 restart

And with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

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

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and climbing up the standings

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

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"