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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval following a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current form and climbing up the table

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

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have performed in this second period"

"Following that were 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 Manchester City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"