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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we teach our players in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

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

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

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

"We had the belief before the match, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

"Leeds United can take a lot from this display with the manner they have played in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"