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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to do something. Our options are limited"

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period performance provided enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," Farke continued

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

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for 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 changes, who is frequently 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 massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"