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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue fresh directions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-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 notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Foden

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

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the game and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive 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 pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"