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

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense 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 solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"