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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 Premier League fixture at the Etihad

The visitors made the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the opening 60 seconds, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

Nevertheless, Leeds rallied following the interval after a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately after the restart

And with City clearly having difficulty to cope with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his players to the touchline and deliver fresh instructions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everybody knows why he collapsed," Farke commented

"It is not the obvious issue. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the regulations. It is clever. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

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

"Unless we educate our footballers in the game what to do in regards of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just try to bend the rules and actually do a fake injury in an attempt to do an extra team talk, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I have no grounds for complaint"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner sent Leeds to a sixth loss in seven top-flight fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched fewer Premier League strikes this term

Strategic Adjustments

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

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup following Guardiola's touchline meeting with his players

"During the break we were in command. After halftime they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they put two up top and changed the setup a bit," said Phil Foden

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

Positive Signs for Leeds

The most recent time Leeds suffered four straight consecutive Premier League matches was in the 2022-23 season, when their campaign concluded with relegation

Nevertheless, while Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is disappointment", their second-half display offered enough evidence to suggest they are capable of halting their present form and climbing up the standings

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

"We possessed the confidence prior to the match, during the fixture and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't come back with a showing like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Opinion

Speaking on radio analysis, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

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

"It appeared like it might be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds United's season, but City found a bit of brilliance. They got away with one this evening"