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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during 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 went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually 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 rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and moving back up the table

"To show such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent chance to win the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

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