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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back following the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief before the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

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