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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their top-flight match at the Etihad

The visitors made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Comeback Denied

However, the visitors rallied after the interval following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions during the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this moment if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't teach our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Foden

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

Positive Aspects for Leeds

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

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the points," the manager added

"We had the belief before the match, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"