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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back after the break after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away following the restart

And with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue new instructions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored less Premier League goals this season

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly reversed their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize following Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient proof to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," Farke added

"We had the belief prior to the game, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"