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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 Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, Leeds rallied following the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

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

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this moment if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less Premier League strikes this season

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," said Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

However, while Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"Leeds can take a lot from this display with the way 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 came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"