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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not 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 approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds suffered four consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

However, while Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated 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 display with the manner they have played in this second period"

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

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"