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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied after the break following a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a solution"

Manager's Frustration

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

"If we don't educate our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds United to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of boldness especially around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that almost reversed their fortunes

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

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they emerged, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the side of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four consecutive Premier League games was in the 2022-23 season, when their season concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient proof to indicate they are able of halting their present form and climbing up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of confidence. If we show such spirit and unity we have a great opportunity to win the points," Farke added

"We had the belief before the match, during the game and following the encounter. Or else you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Commenting on radio analysis, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"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 criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds' season, but City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"