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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the interval after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. 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 sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break 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," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came 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 City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"