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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "bend the rules" in their Premier League fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden scoring within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the hosts' advantage before the interval

Second-Half Revival Denied

However, the visitors fought back following the interval following a change of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring immediately following the resumption

Furthermore with Manchester City clearly struggling to cope with the adjustments moments before Lukas Nmecha equalized, home keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, enabling manager Pep Guardiola to call his team to the sideline and issue fresh instructions in the two minutes the game was stopped for

"Everybody understands why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he fell it was clear. It is within the bounds of the rules. 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 reserve to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution"

Coach's Frustration

"I questioned the fourth official at this moment if you wish to take action. Our hands are tied"

"If we don't educate our footballers in football what to do in terms of fair play and sportsmanship and everything and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is within the regulations I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time winner condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven top-flight matches to leave them 18th in the division, with only bottom club Wolverhampton having notched less Premier League goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

Nonetheless, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness especially around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a courageous choice at the half-time that nearly reversed their fortunes

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

"During the break we were in command. Second half they emerged, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two in attack and changed the formation a little bit," said Phil Foden

"We genuinely had difficulty to get hold of the game. We got together on the edge of the pitch and changed a couple of aspects and it improved from there. That brief pause was crucial to get things right"

Positive Signs for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four straight successive Premier League matches was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with relegation

However, while Daniel Farke stated that "our main emotion is disappointment", their second period display provided sufficient proof to suggest they are able of arresting their current run and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a performance should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the points," the manager continued

"We possessed the confidence prior to the game, throughout the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have strong togetherness and fighting spirit in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

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

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's changes, who is often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

"It appeared like it could be a huge pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but Manchester City found a measure of quality. They got away with one this evening"