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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even 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 allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the interval that almost turned around their situation

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

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

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"