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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back following the break following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely 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 got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current form and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," the manager added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this performance with the manner they have played in this second half"

"Following that were 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 City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"