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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead before the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back following the break after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately after the restart

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

"This isn't the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. 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 keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, said that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and changed the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and adjusted a few things and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main feeling is disappointment", their second period performance offered enough proof to suggest they are capable of halting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should give us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"