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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture 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 lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the break after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everyone 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 regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a little bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, during the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"