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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, Leeds rallied after the interval following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"If we don't teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to regroup after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they emerged, harried us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds suffered four successive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current form and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We had the confidence before the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Or else you cannot respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward victory for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City centre-backs"

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