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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has accused City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors got off to the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net inside the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City clearly having difficulty to deal with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver fresh directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everybody knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I approve? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the governing bodies to find a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our players in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in order to do an extra team talk, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only bottom club Wolves having notched less Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that nearly turned around their fortunes

Speaking to television pundits, Foden, stated that his team were only capable to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"During the break we were in control. Second half they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the game. 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 make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds lost four straight successive top-flight matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are capable of halting their current form and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent chance to earn the points," the manager continued

"We possessed the belief prior to the match, during the game and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

"Leeds can take a lot from this performance 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 ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City centre-backs"

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