Manchester City 3 Leeds United 2: Dominic Calvert-Lewin behind comeback which inspires belief, but brings no points — Yorkshire Post 29/11/25
By Stuart Rayner
Leeds United’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester City managed to be
both heartening and heartbreaking.
The manager who takes too long to make substitutions and the
centre-forward who does not score enough goals combined to give Leeds a chink
of light where they least expected it on Saturday, and perhaps some food for
thought as well. Just no points, which they could really do with right now.
In the end, the match went the way everyone expected it
would. But in forcing City to have to win it via a stoppage-time goal for Phil
Foden, Leeds were at least able to take some comfort from their fourth Premier
League defeat in a row.
They may also spend the next few days mulling over whether
the tactical switch which inspired their comeback from 2-0 down before
ultimately losing 3-2 should be more lasting.
Going into a daunting three-game week on the back of a
triple whammy of bruising losses, when the star-studded hosts took a
first-minute lead a hammering looked on the cards At 2-0 midway through the
first half, it looked a near certainty.
But a double half-time substitution which saw Daniel Farke
bring on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jaka Bijol and switch formation to a 3-4-1-2
inspired Leeds to come back from 2-0 down, only for Foden to well and truly
rain on their parade.
Calvert-Lewin, overlooked for Lukas Nmecha in the last
couple of games, set it in motion with only his second goal for the club, then
won a penalty which Gianluigi Donnarumma saved, only for Nmecha to put the
rebound in.
But the best teams, the clubs which have benches stacked
with talent the likes of Leeds would kill to have in their starting XI can
usually find a way.
Just as the fourth official put his board up to signify a
minimum of 10 minutes added on - as much as anything it was VAR rather than
injury-time – Foden jinked his way into a shooting position and hit a shot
Lucas Perri only saw late and could not stretch to, prompting roars of relief
from the Eastlands supporters.
No one could have imagined such a gripping finish the way
Foden started the game.
Frustrated by the number of goals his side were conceding
down their left, Farke ripped up that side of his team, bringing in James
Justin for a full debut at left-back, Ilia Gruev to Ethan Ampadu's left and
Willy Gnonto on the left wing amongst five changes to his XI.
So Sod's Law, the opening goal came down that side.
Right-back Matheus Nunes was hugging the touchline and
exposing Gnonto's defensive deficiencies. He chested a switch of play from
Josko Gvardiol under no pressure, played a one-two with Bernado Silva to get
around Gnonto and pulled the ball back for Foden. Simple, and so City.
In fairness to Leeds they were competitive for the next
quarter of an hour without ever looking like scoring themselves.
Gradually, City worked out a way to eke out more chances.
Foden almost stretched onto Nico O'Reilly ball in from the
left, and Pascal Struijk had to defend well when Jeremy Doku delivered from
that touchline.
Justin made a big block when Foden threatened to convert a
Tijan Reijnders pull-back, and Gvardiol header over at a corner.
Gvardiol got up highest at a 24th-minute corner and looked
to make a completye hash of it but it returned the ball to taker Foden -
running back from an offside position who forced a good stretching save from
Perri. O'Reilly beat Perri to the corner and Gvardiol bundled in.
After much deliberation, video assistant referee Robert
Jones decided Silva had not impeded the Leeds goalkeeper and, 25 minutes in,
you would have got very long odds on anything but a comfortable home win.
Nmecha, again preferred to Calvert-Lewinm ballooned a
32nd-minute chance when Ampadu released Daniel James on the breakaway to find
him via Gnonto, but it was the exception to the rule of relentless City
pressure.
Reijnders shot over and put a free-kick into the wall before
Justin threw himself in the line of one of his shots, but Leeds could not get
the ball clear, the Dutchman forcing a save then having yet another effort
deflect behind.
O'Reilly forced a save at a stoppage-time corner, albeit not
a difficult one.
But Leeds cane out a different side after the break, in
terms of attitude as well as shape and personnel.
Ampadu shot into a crowd inside two minutes when a free-kick
was headed out to him.
But it was Calvert-Lewin who was making the biggest
difference and when the hosts made a hash of a clearance, Tanaka played it to
Calvert-Lewin, who spun and found the net.
Soon after he was turning Nunes out wide, winning a
free-kick - and a booking for the Portuguese - and whipping up the nearby away
fans. Silva soon followed Nunes into the book, cautioned for dissent as
frustration boiled over.
Donnarumma almost certainly faked an injury to allow Pep
Guardiola a "time-out".
But it did not break Leeds' rhythm, Calvert-Lewin getting in
behind O'Reilly and being brought down by Gvadiola for a penalty Donnarumma
stretched well to, but it only left him helpless to stop Nmecha getting second
time lucky.
Inevitably it meant the second half ended as the first had.
Although Leeds-born Erling Haaland's biggest contribution of
a quiet day was to head away a free-kick, most of the action was at the other
end.
Pascal Struijk cleared off the line when Perri nearly
touched what looked like a Doku cross inside his far post.
The Brazilian made a big save from a stooping Omar Marmoush
as Guardiola poured on quality attacking substitutes.
Then came Foden.
