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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, Leeds fought back after the interval following a change of tactics and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and issue new instructions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a simulated knock in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer top-flight goals this term

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in control. 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 got together on the side of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United suffered four successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered sufficient evidence to suggest they are capable of arresting their current form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the results," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and after the encounter. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"