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

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval after a adjustment of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the restart

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the sideline and issue fresh directions in the two minutes the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he went down," Farke stated

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

Manager's Frustration

"I ask the fourth official at this point if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we teach our players in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply try to bend the rules and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal sent Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less top-flight strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that almost turned around their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his players

"During the break we were in control. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair in attack and altered the formation a little bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to make corrections"

Encouraging Signs for Leeds United

The most recent occasion Leeds United lost four straight consecutive top-flight games was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our overriding emotion is frustration", their second-half display provided sufficient evidence to indicate they are able of halting their present form and climbing back up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the results," Farke added

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

Expert Analysis

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward victory for City, but it has been far from easy in this second period"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City discovered a measure of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"