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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied following the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

And with Manchester City visibly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and moving back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

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

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way they have performed in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"