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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke claimed Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds made the worst possible beginning with Phil Foden finding the net within the opening 60 seconds, prior to Josko Gvardiol doubled the hosts' advantage before the half-time break

Second-Half Comeback Denied

However, Leeds rallied after the interval after a change of strategy and setup, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring straight away after the restart

And with City clearly struggling to deal with the changes just before Lukas Nmecha levelled, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to get attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to summon his players to the touchline and deliver new directions in the 120 seconds play was stopped for

"Everyone knows why he went down," Farke commented

"It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was clear. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I approve? If it's in line with the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is for the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Frustration

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

"Unless we teach our footballers in the game what to do in terms of sportsmanship and sportsmanship and whatever and if we simply try to exploit regulations and even do a fake injury in an attempt to do an additional team talk, it is not what I approve of personally. But if it is allowed by 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 fixtures to place them eighteenth in the division, with only bottom club Wolves having scored less top-flight goals this season

Tactical Adjustments

However, Daniel Farke, who has been questioned for a absence of adventure particularly around substitutions, was almost rewarded for a bold decision at the half-time that nearly reversed their situation

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Phil Foden, said that his side were only able to reorganize following Pep Guardiola's touchline meeting with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, pressed us a lot higher, they deployed two up top and altered the formation a bit," commented Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

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

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "their main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance offered enough proof to indicate they are capable of halting their present form and moving back up the table

"To show such a display should provide us lots of confidence. If we show such spirit and togetherness we have a excellent opportunity to earn the results," the manager added

"We possessed the belief before the game, during the game and following the encounter. Otherwise you can't respond with a showing like that. We have strong unity and determination in the dressing room"

Expert Analysis

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex- Celtic attacker Chris Sutton remarked: "Everybody anticipated it to be a straightforward win for City, but it has been anything but easy in this second half"

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

"Then came Daniel Farke's adjustments, who is often questioned for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced and roughed up the Manchester City defenders"

"It looked like it might be a massive pivotal moment in Leeds' campaign, but City found a bit of quality. They escaped with one this evening"