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

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? 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 Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke added

"We had the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"