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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer Premier League goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly 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 after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and moving back up the table

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

"We possessed the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second half"

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

"It appeared like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"