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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

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

Furthermore with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive treatment, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver new instructions during the two minutes play was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke stated

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

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask 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 terms of fair play and fair play and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of myself. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of adventure especially around substitutions, was almost vindicated for a courageous choice at the interval that nearly turned around their situation

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

"At half-time we were in command. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed a pair up top and changed the setup a little bit," said Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We assembled on the side of the pitch and changed a few things and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to make corrections"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four successive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided enough proof to suggest they are capable of arresting their current run and moving back up the standings

"To show such a display should give us lots of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We had the belief before the match, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Celtic attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone anticipated it to be a straightforward victory 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 period"

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as proactive as he should be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City defenders"

"It looked like it could be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds United's campaign, but Manchester City discovered a bit of quality. They got away with one this afternoon"