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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous decision at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds suffered four successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their present form and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

"Leeds 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 questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"