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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"If we don't teach our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

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

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his squad

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

"We really struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second period display provided sufficient evidence to suggest they are able of arresting their present form and moving up the table

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

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often criticised for not being as responsive 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 bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"