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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" during their Premier League match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the touchline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find 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 teach our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we simply attempt to bend the rules and even 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 rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight goals this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly turned around their fortunes

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

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

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

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The last time Leeds lost four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided enough proof to suggest they are able of halting their present run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such spirit and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," Farke continued

"We possessed the confidence before the game, during the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a comfortable win for City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

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

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City found a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this afternoon"