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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has accused City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their top-flight match at Etihad Stadium

The visitors made the poorest beginning with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, prior to Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's advantage ahead of the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Thwarted

Nevertheless, the visitors fought back following the interval after a change of strategy and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting immediately following the restart

And with Manchester City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get treatment, enabling boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and deliver new directions during the two minutes play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke stated

"This isn't the obvious issue. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of sportsmanship? If it should be like this I will reserve to myself. It is for the authorities to find a solution"

Manager's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this point if you want to do something. Our options are limited"

"If we don't educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and whatever and if we just attempt to exploit regulations 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 within the regulations I can't complain"

Stoppage-Time Deciding Goal

Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League fixtures to place them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having notched fewer Premier League goals this term

Strategic Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been questioned for a lack of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost turned around their fortunes

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, said that his team were only capable to regroup after Pep Guardiola's sideline conference with his players

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they put two in attack and altered the formation a little bit," said Foden

"We really had difficulty to gain control of the match. We got together on the edge of the pitch and adjusted a couple of aspects and it got better from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds United

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

Nevertheless, while Daniel Farke stated that "their overriding feeling is frustration", their second period display provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of halting their present run and climbing up the table

"Displaying such a performance should give us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the confidence before the game, throughout the fixture and after the game. Otherwise you can't respond with a performance like that. We have strong unity and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic forward Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been far from easy in this second half"

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

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

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