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

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

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

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell 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 sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

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

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