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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval after a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City visibly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

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

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last time Leeds United lost four consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Farke said that "our main feeling is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It appeared like it could be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"