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

Leeds made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Comeback Denied

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

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and issue fresh instructions during the 120 seconds play was halted for

"Everybody understands why he collapsed," Farke stated

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the bounds of the regulations. It is smart. If I approve? If it's within the sense of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the governing bodies to find a solution"

Manager's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in order to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive loss in seven Premier League fixtures to leave them 18th in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Strategic Changes

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure especially around changes, was nearly rewarded for a bold decision at the interval that almost reversed their situation

Talking to BBC Match of the Day, Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's sideline meeting with his players

"At half-time we were in control. Second half they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and altered the setup a bit," said Foden

"We genuinely struggled to get hold of the match. We assembled on the side of the field and changed a few things and it improved from there. That brief pause was vital to make corrections"

Positive Aspects for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds United suffered four consecutive top-flight matches was in 2022-23, when their season concluded with demotion

However, while Daniel Farke said that "their overriding emotion is disappointment", their second-half performance offered sufficient proof to indicate they are able of arresting their present form and climbing back up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us plenty of belief. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great opportunity to earn the points," Farke added

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the game and after the game. Otherwise you cannot come back with a performance like that. We have strong unity and determination in the locker room"

Pundit Opinion

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker 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 can take a lot from this display with the way they have played in this second period"

"Following that were Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is frequently criticised for not being as proactive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the Manchester City centre-backs"

"It looked like it might be a massive turning point in Leeds' season, but City discovered a measure of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"