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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 the Etihad

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everybody understands 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 smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

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 players

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display provided enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their current form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"