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

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

However, the visitors fought back following the interval following a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find 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 regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

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

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current form and moving back up the standings

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

"We possessed the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"