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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the break following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away after the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team 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 obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they put two in attack and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds United lost four successive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display provided enough proof to suggest they are able of arresting their present run and climbing up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but City found a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"