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Leeds manager Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" during their Premier League match at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden scoring inside the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

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

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue new directions during the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to determine a resolution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we just try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only last-placed Wolves having notched less top-flight goals this term

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of boldness particularly around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold choice at the interval that almost turned around their situation

Talking to television pundits, Foden, said that his side were only able to regroup after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the formation a bit," said Phil Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds suffered four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "our overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and climbing back up the table

"To show such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the game, throughout the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot respond with a showing like that. We have great unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Scottish club forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been far from comfortable in this second half"

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

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it could be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this evening"