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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new instructions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough proof to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

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