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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 made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Comeback Thwarted

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

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell 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 should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost vindicated for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

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

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period performance offered sufficient evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and following the game. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

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

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