Manchester City 3 Leeds United 2: Whites heartbreak after stellar comeback, system change and striker impact — YEP 29/11/25

By Lee Sobot

Leeds United took on Manchester City at the Etihad with five changes made to the Whites side.

Leeds United suffered late heartache in Saturday’s Premier League clash at Manchester City as a superb fightback ultimately counted for nothing in a last-gasp 3-2 defeat.

Leeds got off to a disastrous start and found themselves 1-0 down after just 59 seconds as City netted from their first attack.

Bernardo Silva slipped in Matheus Nunes down the right flank and Nunes sent a cutback into the box which fell to Phil Foden who guided a rising strike into the roof of the net in off the crossbar.

Leed looked to respond as they sent men up the pitch but that meant space in behind and City quickly threatened to go 2-0 up, a sliding block from James Justin preventing Foden from doubling his tally.

Foden was running the show and the England star's shot on the follow up to his own cleared corner would have flown into the top corner but for a fine save from Lucas Perri to tip the ball over the bar.

Perri, though, made a mess of attempting to punch clear the following corner from the opposite side, Nico O'Reilly beating the Whites keeper to the ball which then dropped at the feet of Josko Gvardiol to net from close range.

The goal survived a VAR check for offside, Leeds already staring down the barrel of defeat with half an hour on the clock.

The Whites at least managed an attempt at goal in the 32nd minute as Willy Gnonto teed up Lukas Nmecha whose rising shot from just inside the box flew over the bar.

But the half ended with more City chances for a third, Tijjani Reijnders twice going particularly close as a clearly exasperated Whites boss Daniel Farke regularly showed his frustration by throwing his arms in the air on the touchline when Leeds lost the ball.

The Whites boss opted to make a double change at the break and change his formation, Gnonto and James taken off as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jaka Bijol entered the fray.

That meant a 3-5-2 with Bijol, Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon at centre-back, Leeds looking to get men forward to support Calvert-Lewin through the middle.

Within four minutes of the restart, Calvert-Lewin had got himself on the scoresheet, a much improved Leeds working the ball to the striker through Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka.

Calvert-Lewin looked to have lost the ball on the turn but City got in a mess trying to clear their lines and the Whites no 9 netted from close range.

Leeds suddenly had momentum, the noise rising in the away end and a brilliant turn by Calvert-Lewin leading to a Leeds free-kick on the edge of the box which City cleared.

City looked to restore order and looked like doing so as they began to put a few passes together again yet another fine break led to Leeds winning a penalty and ultimately drawing level with 68 minutes on the clock.

To a ball down the right, Jayden Bogle’s flicked header found Calvert-Lewin who stormed into the box, only to be wiped out by a clumsy challenge from Gvardiol.

Against his old club, Nmecha stepped up to take the spot kick and his strike was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma but the Italian could only push his save back into the path of Nmecha who netted on the rebound.

City frantically pushed forward looking to go back ahead but Leeds offered a threat themselves although the Whites survived a huge scramble from a Foden cross and appeals for a City penalty.

Moments later, a cross-cum-shot from Jeremy Doku flew across the box, forcing a save from Perri before Struijk hacked the ball behind for a corner which Leeds survived.

But United then began pushing City back as they looked for a winner, Erling Haaland forced to head clear a dangerous Tanaka cross and Donnarumma booked for dissent as City struggled to clear their lines.

Back at the other end, a rare headed attempt from Haaland was easily saved as the clock ticked towards the 90th minute but the noise levels suddenly increased inside the Etihad as the board went up for ten added minutes.

Two minutes later, Leeds experienced heartbreak, class act Foden jinking inside from the edge of the box and firing a low shot through a crowded box which flew past Perri into the bottom left corner.

Even then Leeds pushed for a third goal, City surviving a host of balls into the box but ultimately having done enough to record a 3-2 success in which Foden was the difference despite a particularly impressive impact from Calvert-Lewin from the bench.