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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds rallied following the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within 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 keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever 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 allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the field and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered enough evidence to suggest they are able of halting their present form and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," the manager continued

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"