Foden Saves City in Stoppage Time as Leeds Fightback Falls Short at the Etihad

Manchester City were made to sweat on a chilly evening at the Etihad, but in the end, their quality rose when it mattered most. The champions squeezed past a spirited Leeds United side 3-2, a scoreline that barely captures the drama packed into the final half hour.

City flew out of the blocks like a team on a mission. Inside the first minute, Matheus Nunes combined brilliantly down the right before sending a low ball into the box. Phil Foden arrived with intent, smashing his finish off the underside of the bar to hand City the fastest Premier League goal of the season so far. The Etihad barely had time to settle when City doubled their advantage in the 25th minute. A scramble from a left-sided corner saw Josko Gvardiol slide in an O’Reilly knockdown from close range, a goal confirmed after a lengthy VAR check for interference in front of the keeper.

With a comfortable 2-0 cushion and more than 1.8 xG at half-time, Pep Guardiola’s side looked firmly in control. Leeds had offered little going forward, posting just 0.1 xG and struggling to string together meaningful attacks. The Opta Supercomputer had City at a towering 97.3 percent chance of winning at the break.

But football loves chaos, and Leeds embraced it in the second half. Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back in the 49th minute as Tanaka slipped him through. A heavy touch threatened to ruin the moment, but a fortunate ricochet fell kindly and the striker slotted calmly into the bottom-left corner on his 250th Premier League appearance.

City wobbled, Leeds grew, and the tension inside the Etihad turned audible. In the 66th minute, the visitors’ belief surged when Gvardiol brought down Calvert-Lewin in the area, gifting Leeds a penalty. Lukas Nmecha stepped up, saw his effort saved brilliantly by Donnarumma, but reacted quickest to bury the rebound. Against his former club, and for the third straight game, he delivered. Suddenly, it was 2-2 and City were rattled.

Leeds looked destined for a point as they frustrated City’s attempts to regain control. But champions survive moments like these, and City leaned on their star man once more. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Rayan Cherki spotted space and threaded a simple pass into Foden. The England international steadied himself and guided a composed finish into the bottom-left corner, cueing an eruption of relief from the stands.

The late strike capped a superb individual performance from Foden and pushed City over the line after a second half in which they were outworked and outmuscled. City’s 2.72 xG underlined their attacking intent, but Leeds fought beyond their 1.53 xG, showing resilience and heart despite slumping to a fourth straight league defeat.

For Guardiola, it is a gritty response after disappointment against Newcastle. For Leeds, it is another painful lesson, but one full of positives as they stare down a challenging run of fixtures.