A Phil Foden spared Manchester City’s blushes with a last-gasp winner after the Premier League title challengers blew a two-goal lead in a dramatic 3-2 win over lowly Leeds on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side were in danger of losing more ground in the title race following a second-half collapse at the Etihad Stadium.
Foden and Josko Gvardiol had put City two up before the interval, but third-bottom Leeds hit back through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.
Foden clinched a nerve-jangling victory that lifted City into second place, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who travel to third-placed Chelsea on Sunday.
It was a much-needed win after consecutive defeats against Newcastle last weekend and Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Guardiola’s decision to make 10 changes against Leverkusen backfired in a 2-0 loss, prompting the furious Spaniard to claim his players “didn’t try.”
Foden, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were among the stars back in City’s starting line-up for the Leeds clash.
City had made their worst start to a campaign for five years and their second-worst under Guardiola.
But they took just 59 seconds to move in front as Foden fired a close-range strike in off the bar after Matheus Nunes’ burst unhinged the Leeds defence.
Leeds had no answer to City’s slick start, and Gvardiol looked to have put the hosts in complete control with a tap-in from Nico O’Reilly’s header in the 25th minute.
Despite Leeds’ protests that Silva was offside and blocking keeper Lucas Perri’s view, the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check.
Calvert-Lewin made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, reducing the deficit with a clinical finish after pouncing on Nunes’ woeful pass inside the City area in the 49th minute.
Leeds grabbed a shock equaliser in the 68th minute when Gvardiol fouled Calvert-Lewin. Although Nmecha’s penalty was saved by Donnarumma, the forward recovered to score from the rebound.
Chasing his 100th top-flight goal, Haaland was unusually subdued, but Foden picked up the slack in stoppage time, cleverly creating space in the area for an ice-cool finish as Guardiola breathed a sigh of relief.
Leeds’ sixth defeat in their last seven matches increased the pressure on manager Daniel Farke.
Elsewhere, Brentford striker Igor Thiago reached 11 league goals this season as his double fuelled a 3-1 win against Burnley in west London. Dango Ouattara was chopped down by Axel Tuanzebe in the 81st minute, and Thiago converted the resulting spot-kick for his eighth goal in his last eight games.
Second-bottom Burnley won a penalty of their own four minutes later when Michael Kayode fouled Jaidon Anthony, and Zian Flemming rolled in the equaliser. Thiago struck 60 seconds later with a ferocious finish from Jordan Henderson’s cross, and Ouattara’s rocket put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time.
Sunderland climbed to fourth place after fighting back from two goals down to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light.
The Cherries went ahead after seven minutes as Evanilson’s shot hit the post and Amine Adli slotted home from the rebound. Tyler Adams doubled Bournemouth’s advantage eight minutes later with a moment of magic, lofting a superb chip over Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs from inside the centre circle.
Sunderland, promoted from the Championship last season, refused to surrender. Alex Scott’s foul on Reinildo Mandava conceded a penalty that Enzo Le Fée converted in the 30th minute. Bertrand Traoré bagged Sunderland’s 46th-minute equaliser with a composed finish from Granit Xhaka’s pass. Brian Brobbey completed Sunderland’s stirring revival, heading in Le Fée’s cross in the 69th minute.
Later on Saturday, Newcastle visit Everton and Tottenham host Fulham. – Agency report.
