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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really 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 crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody 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 manner they have played in this second half"

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

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