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

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied following the break following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight goals this season

Strategic Adjustments

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

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving back up the table

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

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, during the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this display with the way they have played 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 Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"