Man City 3-2 Leeds: Phil Foden inspires chaotic win as Pep Guardiola’s side move second in Premier League
Phil Foden scored twice to inspire a chaotic 3-2 win for Manchester City over struggling Leeds that moves them to second in the Premier League table.
The result of the game was in jeopardy until the 91st minute, when Foden netted his second of the afternoon after Pep Guardiola’s side had inexplicably blown a two-goal lead.
City’s advantage was established 59 seconds into the match and extended when Josko Gvardiol converted from a corner. Leeds offered nothing to suggest an upturn was imminent, unable to even land a shot on target during a horribly passive first half.
Phil Foden scored the winner in the 91st minute
Under-fire Leeds boss Daniel Farke needed an urgent response and got it via substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who sparked the unlikeliest of turnarounds, pulling a scrappy goal back before winning a penalty – dispatched at the second time of asking by Lukas Nmecha after Gianluigi Donnarumma kept out the initial attempt. City had crumbled.
The visitors thought they had rescued a precious point, nothing short of what their spirited second-half performance deserved, only for “special” Foden to shatter hearts with a clever stoppage-time winner – lifting his side above Chelsea into second. “In these moments there are not strategies and tactics,” Guardiola reflected, “just put the ball in situations to score. Phil did it good.”
City survive another serious scare after back-to-back defeats against Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen in Europe, while Leeds’ troubles worsen, marooned in the relegation zone following a sixth loss in their last seven.
Player ratings:
Man City: Donnarumma (6), Nunes (6), Dias (6), Gvardiol (5), O’Reilly (6), Gonzalez (6), Bernardo (6), Reijnders (5), Doku (5), Foden (9), Haaland (4).
Subs: Cherki (5), Marmoush (n/a), Stones (n/a).
Leeds: Perri (5), Justin (6), Struijk (5), Rodon (5), Bogle (6), Gruev (5), Ampadu (7), Tanaka (6), Gnonto (4), James (6), Nmecha (6).
Subs: Calvert-Lewin (8), Bijol (7), Gudmundsson (6), Okafor (n/a), Aaronson (n/a).
Player of the Match: Phil Foden
What happened with Donnarumma?
Farke accused Donnarumma of “bending the rules” after the goalkeeper went down with a supposed injury amid a second-half Leeds onslaught.
City had already shipped the goal to Calvert-Lewin and conceded control of momentum when the incident happened, with Farke’s formation shift – pushing two up top – causing the home side all sorts of defensive issues. While Donnarumma was receiving treatment Guardiola gathered his team on the touchline, giving new instructions to match Leeds up.
Daniel Farke confronted Gianluigi Donnarumma at full time
“When there was a short break, the manager got us together and we adapted to their formation,” Foden revealed post-match.
Farke said “everyone knows why he went down”, but equally emphasised the tactic was “clever” and within the current laws. Leeds scored again after City regrouped but were not able to hold on to the draw.
When questioned on Donnarumma’s actions and if they related to a tactical break, Guardiola said he believed his goalkeeper to be injured and ordered James Trafford to warm up.
Man City no longer have champions aura
Lukas Nmecha scored Leeds’ equaliser from the penalty spot
Analysis by Laura Hunter at Etihad Stadium:
Man City making a complete mess of what looked to be a routine win is indicative of how far they have fallen from being a championship-winning side. The hosts nullified every Leeds threat in an utterly-dominant first half. They were so comfortable, with so much control, the game was almost being played at walking pace by the end of the half.
Guardiola’s side had peppered Lucas Perri’s goal, generating 2.39 worth of xG value while conceding 0.10 at the opposite end. But there is something vulnerable about this City ensemble. Never completely safe.
Hero of the day Foden said afterwards that “every Premier League team is so difficult to beat”, but Leeds were there for the taking. The result should have been out of sight.
Credit must of course land at Farke’s door for the tactical changes he made at half-time to motivate such a change, though he was helped in no small part by City’s sloppiness. Leeds’ first goal was made possible by a comedy of defensive errors and the second was the product of a ridiculous lapse in judgment from Gvardiol.
City might have won each of their last six Premier League on home turf, but they are by no means the perfect article.
Pep relieved as ‘special’ Foden earns praise
Man City boss Pep Guardiola:
“It was a relief to score in the last minutes and the other feeling is big character. The game was not perfect in the first half, but it was comfortable, should be over at half-time with the chances we had.
“After that Daniel [Farke] changed the system like Leveruksen did – 5-3-2 – and we concede the goal in the first minute. The shape takes an influence in the way we played.
“And after it’s emotions, we concede the second, but after we make a step up. We react really well, we put more players in the box, we put the ball quick into the box, and the quality of Phil [Foden] again – he’s special. He helped us to win the game.”
Farke praises ‘heart and spirit’ of Leeds fightback
Leeds boss Daniel Farke:
“We played one of the best sides in the world, definitely the best manager in the world. If you have such a start and concede after only seconds it does something. We spoke about how important set-pieces are, normally you have to win the set-piece scoreline to take points from the Etihad.
“If you concede from a corner it’s so difficult, many setbacks in the first half. So we change at half time, I wasn’t happy with our execution and we changed structure in possession to gain more control of the game. We had different passing angles. We had belief back in our game and showed a fantastic second half. We deserved to equalise.
“Man City are a side full of superstars and full of class and one moment of magic, then Phil Foden was decisive. Heartbreak and unlucky for my players but they should take lots of pride and confidence from the second-half performance. The overriding feeling is disappointment but we have heart and spirit and togetherness – that gives us a great chance of winning the points we need.”
Story of the match in stats…
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