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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver new directions during the two minutes play 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 clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve 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 educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

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

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough proof to indicate they are able of arresting their current run and moving back up the table

"To show such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We had the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and after the game. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"