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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

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

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this moment if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything 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 like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his side were only capable to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main feeling is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current form and moving back up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a great opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"