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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring inside the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors rallied after the break after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the resumption

Furthermore with City visibly struggling to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collapsed to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver fresh directions in the 120 seconds the game was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolves having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was nearly vindicated for a courageous choice at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

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

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We assembled on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is frustration", their second period display offered sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their current run and moving up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a excellent opportunity to win the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the game and after the encounter. Or else you can't respond with a performance like that. We have great togetherness and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Pundit Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a comfortable victory for 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 half"

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

"It looked like it might be a huge turning point in Leeds United's campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They escaped with one this evening"