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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt 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 personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

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

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the confidence prior to the game, throughout the game and following the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"