Manchester City needed every ounce of composure as well as every bit of Phil Foden’s magic in order to survive a fierce Leeds United fightback in a gripping 3–2 win at the Etihad.
The match had barely started when Phil Foden scored inside the first minute, smashing home after a sharp attacking move. The fast start stunned Leeds, and City stayed on the front foot.
The pressure paid off again in the 25th minute. This time it was Josko Gvardiol who doubled the lead, rising highest to power City 2–0 ahead. At that point, City looked in total control.
But the second half took on a completely different shape. Leeds came out swinging. They pressed City aggressively and forced errors. Their momentum turned into a breakthrough when Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back in the 49th minute with a composed finish.
Suddenly, the match turned. Leeds kept pushing. And in the 68th minute, Lukas Nmecha completed the comeback with the equaliser, sparking shock around the stadium. The Cityzens looked rattled, and Leeds began to believe.
From then on, it became a tense, end-to-end battle. City pushed hard for the winner, while Leeds threatened on the counter. The clock kept ticking until Foden delivered again.
In the 91st minute of the stoppage time, Foden stepped up with ice in his veins, firing home the decisive goal to seal the victory and rescue City from a major upset.
The visitors fought until the final whistle, but the home side held on to take all three points in a match that swung wildly from dominance to chaos and back again.
Foden started it. Foden finished it. And City survived a storm because of him.
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