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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their Premier League match at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead before the interval

Second Period Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations 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 allowed by the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this season

Tactical Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a courageous choice at the interval that almost turned around their fortunes

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

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put two up top and changed the setup a bit," commented Foden

"We really had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The last occasion Leeds suffered four straight successive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second period display provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and after the game. Or else you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"