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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold choice at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main feeling is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their present form and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to earn the results," the manager continued

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the manner they have performed in this second half"

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

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"