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Leeds head coach Daniel Farke claimed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of simulating a knock to "exploit the regulations" in their top-flight fixture at the Etihad

Leeds got off to the worst possible start with Phil Foden finding the net within the first minute, before Josko Gvardiol extended the home side's lead ahead of the interval

Second-Half Revival Thwarted

However, Leeds fought back after the break after a adjustment of tactics and formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting straight away following the resumption

And with City clearly struggling to cope with the changes moments before Lukas Nmecha levelled, home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down to receive attention, allowing boss Pep Guardiola to call his team to the touchline and deliver new directions during the 120 seconds the game was halted for

"Everyone understands why he collapsed," 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 smart. If I like it? If it's in line with the spirit of fair play? If it ought to be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to determine a resolution"

Coach's Disappointment

"I questioned the assistant referee at this point if you wish to do something. Our hands are tied"

"Unless we educate our footballers in football what to do in regards of sportsmanship and fair play and everything and if we simply attempt to exploit regulations and actually do a simulated knock in an attempt to do an extra team meeting, it is not what I like personally. But if it is allowed by the rules I can't complain"

Late Winner

Phil Foden's injury-time decisive goal condemned Leeds United to a sixth consecutive defeat in seven Premier League matches to leave them eighteenth in the Premier League, with only last-placed Wolverhampton having scored fewer top-flight strikes this season

Tactical Changes

However, Farke, who has been criticised for a lack of boldness particularly around changes, was almost rewarded for a courageous decision at the half-time that almost reversed their situation

Talking to television pundits, Phil Foden, stated that his side were only able to reorganize after Pep Guardiola's touchline conference with his squad

"At half-time we were in control. After halftime they came out, harried us a lot more aggressively, they put a pair in attack and altered the setup a bit," commented Phil Foden

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

Encouraging Aspects for Leeds

The last time Leeds United suffered four consecutive top-flight games was in 2022-23, when their campaign concluded with demotion

Nevertheless, while Farke said that "our main emotion is frustration", their second-half performance provided enough evidence to indicate they are capable of arresting their current form and moving up the standings

"Displaying such a display should provide us plenty of belief. If we demonstrate such determination and togetherness we have a great chance to win the results," Farke added

"We possessed the belief before the match, during the fixture and following the game. Otherwise you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and determination in the locker room"

Expert Analysis

Commenting on radio analysis, former Scottish club attacker Chris Sutton said: "Everyone expected it to be a comfortable victory for City, but it has been anything but comfortable in this second half"

"Leeds United 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 often criticised for not being as responsive as he ought to be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on and physically challenged the City centre-backs"

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