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

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, the visitors fought back following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within 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 keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager continued

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds can take 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 questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"