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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, Leeds fought back following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

And with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"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 fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four straight successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great chance to earn the points," the manager added

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second period"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"