Manchester City 3, Leeds United 2
Phil Foden scored a late winner as Manchester City needed three goals to beat Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium.
Foden had given City a first minute goal with the fastest Premier League goal of the season so far before Josko Gvardiol made it 2-0 before half time.
The Yorkshire side changed to 3-5-2 and fought back after the break with goals by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha before Foden scored an injury time winner to grant City all three points.
On a day expected to see Erling Haaland score his 100th Premier League goal Foden opened the scoring after 59 seconds, sending Matheus Nunes’ well place cutback into the back of the net via a satisfying rising strike off the underside of the crossbar.
It was the earliest goal scored in the Premier League so far this season and only Foden’s 5th this term and City soon had a second goal when Josko Gvardiol opened his City account for the season by reacting first to a poor attempt by Lucas Perri to clear a City corner.
Foden had two additional chances to put City into an unassailable lead but saw his efforts blocked while Leeds could only muster a wild effort by Lukas Nmecha.
Leeds switched to wing backs after the break and introduced Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jaka Bijol and two consecutive errors by Matheus Nunes put City back on tenterhooks.
The fear became real when Gvardiol slid in and missed the ball, taking out Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the process and conceding a penalty.
Lukas Nmecha, former City player, stepped up and coolly volleyed home the rebound from his own spot kick after Gianluigi Donnarumma initially saved the penalty.
City almost went ahead when when Pascal Struijk almost miskicked Jeremy Doku’s cross into his own net but instead City’s defensive frailties almost showed them up with Leeds looking for the holes in City’s defence as they threw everything at the visitors.
Omar Marmoush directed a free header straight at Perri as City became desperate in the last two minutes.
But just when things were looking dire, Rayan Cherki supplied the ball to Foden who danced through attempted tackles on the edge of the box before turning and firing his 6th goal of the season into the bottom corner with Gvardiol leaping out of the way as City retook the lead.
And after a breathless finish City managed to make sure of victory that puts them briefly 4 points behind League leaders Arsenal in second place.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 3, Leeds United 2
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 6. Not much to do in the first half but the big Italian has not been great lately. Shaky moment in the second half as he came for a free kick lofted into the box but didn’t get there. Palmed away a cross by Gabriel Gudmundsson as Leeds tried to equalise again in injury time.
Matheus Nunes: 4. Restored to the starting lineup – provided width on the right and close control and cut the ball back for the opening goal but blotted his copybook with 2 consecutive errors to allow Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score. Was rattled after that.
Ruben Dias: 6. Looked after former City product Lukas Nmecha but wasn’t given much help by Matheus Nunes when it mattered in the second half.
Josko Gvardiol: 6. Crossfield passes to the right released Matheus Nunes for raids. Defensively sound. Reacted first when the ball fell to him from a poorly cleared corner. Went downhill in the second half.
Nico O’Reilly: 6. Great cutback served up a chance for Phil Foden which was blocked. Ballooned header saved but defensive frailties exposed in second half.
Nico Gonzalez: 6. Deflected shot went for a corner and had another effort blocked too. Couldn’t stem the Leeds attacks.
Tijjani Reijnders: 7. Got into dangerous positions and had a shot blocked but struggled with physical Leeds approach and lost the ball a fair bit trying to make things happen.
Bernardo Silva: 5. Went to the right flank when Phil Foden came inside, carried the ball well but ineffective and probably stayed on too long.
Phil Foden: 8. Scored a fine goal, got into dangerous positions often – having two shots blocked on the line, and put in a hardworking shift too winning the ball in midfield. Came up with the winning goal when it mattered at the start of injury time – superb solo effort running along the edge of the box before a neat turn and shot.
Jeremy Doku: 5. Noticeably drifting inside and causing mayhem but no end product.
Erling Haaland: 6. Desperate for his 100th Premier League goal but no service at all.
Rayan Cherki (on for Tijjani Reijnders, 75): 6. Set up Phil Foden for injury time equaliser.
Omar Marmoush (on for Bernardo Silva, 89): No time to mark.
John Stones (on for Jeremy Doku 90+6): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 3, Leeds United 2
Man City 1, Leeds Utd 0: 1. Matheus Nunes’ cutback from the right was rifled in off the crossbar by Phil Foden
Man City 2, Leeds Utd 0: 25. Josko Gvardiol poked the loose ball home after Lucas Perri’s attempt to clear a corner failed and the ball came off Nico O’Reilly – a VAR check for offside against Bernardo Silva was checked and cleared
Man City 2, Leeds Utd 1: 49. Dominic Calvert-Lewin capitalised on 2 errors by Matheus Nunes who gave the ball away trying to play it out of defence and then was too casual when it came back to him, losing it a second time and allowing the veteran striker to score.
Man City 2, Leeds Utd 2: 68. Lukas Nmecha volleyed home the rebound after Gianluigi Donnarujma guessed correctly from the spot kick and dived to his left only for the Leeds man to follow the ball in and beat the Italian with the loose ball.
Man City 3, Leeds Utd 2: 90+1. Phil Foden ran along the edge of the box, turned and shot into the bottom corner with Josko Gvardiol leaping out of the way to put City back into the lead.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 3, Leeds United 2
Man City: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Reijnders, Silva (C) (Marmouch 89), Foden, Doku (Stones 90+6), Haaland
Man City Subs not used: Trafford, Ake, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Khusanov, Lewis
Bookings: Nunes 55 (foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin) ; Silva 57 (dissent); Gvardiol 66 (foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin); Donnarumma 87 (dissent)
Goals: Foden 1, 90+1; Gvardiol 25
Leeds Utd: Perri, Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Justin (Gudmundsson 69), Tanaka (Aaronson 90+2), Ampadu (C), Gruev, James (Calvert-Lewin 46), Nmecha (Okafor 82), Gnonto (Bijol 46)
Leeds Utd Subs not used: Meslier, Piroe, Harrison, Byram
Bookings: Rodon 58
Goals: Calvert-Lewin 49; Nmecha 68
Referee: Peter Bankes