Manchester City bounced back from their shocking 2–0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen with a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium, thanks to Phil Foden’s decisive strikes in the opening minute and the dying moments of the game, Softfootball reports.
Leeds arrived wounded themselves, having lost 2–1 to Aston Villa in a result that left head coach Daniel Farke openly disappointed. And within the first 60 seconds, their evening threatened to unravel further. Matheus Nunes found Phil Foden inside the box, and the England midfielder took one touch before rifling a fierce effort into the roof of the net, a nightmare start for a side that had beaten only bottom-placed Wolves away from home all season.
City, eager to restore belief after back-to-back defeats to Newcastle and Leverkusen, dominated possession and tempo. Their pressure paid off again in the 25th minute when Joško Gvardiol pounced on a loose ball following a Foden corner, squeezing home a rebound that survived a brief VAR check.
Leeds emerged from the break revitalised, aided by a bold early substitution that saw Daniel James replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The switch paid immediate dividends. Just four minutes into the second half, Calvert-Lewin reacted sharply to a rebound and drilled a low shot inside the far post, stunning the Etihad and dragging Leeds back into the contest.
Suddenly energised, Leeds pushed forward with confidence, though City’s recent habit of scoring between the 55th and 70th minute kept nerves jangling. But instead of City finding another goal, the visitors struck next. Calvert-Lewin won a penalty after being clipped by Gvardiol inside the box, and Lukas Nmecha facing his former club stepped up. Donnarumma saved the initial attempt, but Nmecha buried the rebound to make it 2–2 and complete a remarkable Leeds comeback.
With parity restored, Leeds dared to dream of ending City’s 25-match unbeaten run against newly promoted sides, the last team to beat them in such a fixture being Leeds themselves back in April 2021.
But City, as they have done so often, found a late escape route. Deep into stoppage time, Rayan Cherki slipped a clever pass into Foden, who curled a smart finish from the edge of the box to seal his brace and rescue all three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.
After the game, Manchester City via it’s official X handle shared the match outcome with it fans tagging Phil foden who scored the late winner for the Cityzens. They posted:
Leeds, meanwhile, will take pride in their spirited second-half fightback, but remain in danger, potentially finishing the month three points from safety. Their resilience offered hope, but their heartbreak underlined the unforgiving nature of top-flight football.
