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

Leeds made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' lead ahead of the half-time break

Second Period Revival Denied

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

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the adjustments just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions in the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," 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 spirit of fair play? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a solution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is within the rules I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's stoppage-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight fixtures to place them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having notched fewer top-flight goals this season

Tactical Changes

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of boldness particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the interval that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only capable to regroup following Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his squad

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot higher, they put a pair up top and changed the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United lost four straight successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided enough evidence to indicate they are able of arresting their current run and moving back up the table

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

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, during the game and after the game. Or else you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for Manchester City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

"Leeds can derive a lot from this performance with the manner they have performed in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's changes, who is frequently questioned for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the City defenders"

"It appeared like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds United's season, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They escaped with one this afternoon"