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

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

And with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and deliver fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

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

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost reversed their situation

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

"At half-time we were in command. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the formation a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to gain control of the game. We assembled on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That little break was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four straight consecutive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence before the match, throughout the fixture and following the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this afternoon"