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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new directions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

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 players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

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

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

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

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds

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

However, while Farke said that "their main feeling is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," the manager added

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

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