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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," 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 in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

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

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