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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down 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 up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"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 just try to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That little break was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The most recent time Leeds lost four consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their present form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," the manager continued

"We had the belief prior to the match, during the game and after the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"