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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the break after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver fresh directions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell 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 sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their present form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"