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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a adjustment of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this season

Strategic Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We really struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds lost four successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and moving back up the standings

"To show such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

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

"Leeds United can derive a lot from this performance with the way they have played in this second period"

"Following that were 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 might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"