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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. 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 for the authorities to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

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

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to earn the results," Farke added

"We had the belief before the game, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently 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 might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"