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

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back following the interval after a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee 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 terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We had the belief prior to the match, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"