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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue new directions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Speaking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of halting their current form and moving back up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we show such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

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

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"