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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

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

And with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually 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"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current form and moving up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

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

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