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

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? 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 find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

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

"We genuinely had difficulty 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 vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

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