Manchester City survived a jaw-dropping, nerve-shredding afternoon at the Etihad as Phil Foden’s brilliance rescued Pep Guardiola’s side from total collapse, sealing a wild 3–2 victory over a defiant Leeds team fighting for their lives.
City appeared to be cruising toward an effortless win after racing into a two-goal lead within the opening half-hour, only to implode spectacularly in a second half that stunned the home crowd.
But when the match tilted towards disaster, it was Foden — “special,” as Guardiola later called him — who delivered in the 91st minute, smashing home the winner that dragged City back up to second in the Premier League table, leapfrogging Chelsea.
The script seemed simple early on. Just 59 seconds after kick-off, City were ahead, slicing through Leeds before the visitors even settled. Josko Gvardiol then rose from a corner to double the lead, and Leeds offered next to nothing in response — not even a shot on target in a first half that bordered on surrender.
Under intense pressure and facing growing unrest, Leeds boss Daniel Farke rolled the dice at half-time. His decision to introduce Dominic Calvert-Lewin ignited a comeback nobody in the stadium saw coming.
Calvert-Lewin first bundled in a messy but vital goal, injecting belief into a side that had looked beaten for 45 minutes. Minutes later, he forced a penalty — and after Donnarumma saved Lukas Nmecha’s initial attempt, Nmecha smashed home the rebound to level the match. The Etihad fell silent. City had crumbled from dominance to disarray.
Leeds suddenly played like a team possessed. A tactical switch to two strikers wreaked havoc on the City backline, with Guardiola’s men stumbling under the pressure.
Then came the controversy.
As Leeds rampaged forward, Gianluigi Donnarumma went down clutching his leg, halting the game. Farke accused the City keeper of “bending the rules,” insinuating the injury pause was a tactical ploy to stop Leeds’ momentum.
Guardiola insisted otherwise, saying he believed his goalkeeper was genuinely hurt and had backup keeper James Trafford warming up.
But regardless of intention, the break allowed Guardiola a precious moment to pull his rattled team together on the touchline.
“When there was a short stoppage, the manager gathered us and we adjusted to their formation,” Foden later revealed.
Leeds still struck again after regrouping — but their fairytale comeback wasn’t meant to last.
When the fourth official’s board went up, Leeds sensed a priceless point. They had earned it through heart, aggression and relentless fight.
But in stoppage time, with the match hanging in chaos, the ball broke kindly for Phil Foden — and the midfielder delivered with a moment of icy precision, drilling in the winner that tore the game from Leeds’ grasp.
Guardiola summed it up simply: “In these moments there are no tactics. You just put the ball into dangerous situations — and Phil did it.”
The result brings City crucial relief after damaging defeats to Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, though the defensive collapse will concern their manager.
For Leeds, the heartbreak is devastating. A sixth loss in seven leaves them anchored in the relegation zone, though their second-half bravery offered a glimmer of hope.
