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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, the visitors rallied following the interval after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue new instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. 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 for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Changes

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

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control 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 vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds lost four successive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with relegation

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent chance to win the points," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"