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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

Leeds got off to the poorest start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage before the interval

Second Period Revival Denied

However, the visitors rallied following the interval following a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the restart

Furthermore with City visibly having difficulty to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to summon his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is smart. If I like it? If it's within the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I ask the assistant referee at this point if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't teach our footballers in the game what to do in regards of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to bend the rules and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like myself. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having scored fewer Premier League strikes this term

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around changes, was nearly vindicated for a bold decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, said that his team were only able to reorganize after Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot more aggressively, they deployed two up top and changed the formation a little bit," commented Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to gain control of the game. We got together on the edge of the field and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That little break was vital to get things right"

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four consecutive Premier League games was in 2022-23, when their season ended with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their current run and moving back up the table

"Displaying such a display should give us plenty of confidence. If we demonstrate such determination and unity we have a great opportunity to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the game, throughout the game and after the game. Or else you cannot come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable win for Manchester City, but it has been anything but easy in this second period"

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

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

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