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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "exploit the regulations" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back following the break after a adjustment of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue new directions in the 120 seconds play 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 clear. It is within the rules. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"If we don't educate our players in the game what to do in regards of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to leave them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around substitutions, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the match. We got together on the side of the field and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United lost four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their main emotion is disappointment", their second period display offered sufficient proof to indicate they are capable of arresting their present run and climbing back up the standings

"To show such a performance should give us lots of belief. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," Farke continued

"We had the confidence before the game, during the fixture and after the game. Or else you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward 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 manner they have played in this second half"

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

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of brilliance. They escaped with one this evening"