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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight match at the Etihad

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, Leeds rallied after the interval after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. 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 up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

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

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing up the standings

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

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"