Phil Foden struck twice-including a dramatic stoppage-time winner-as Manchester City survived a second-half scare to edge Leeds United 3–2 and stay in touch with Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The win moves City into second place, four points off the top, while Leeds slide to yet another defeat in a miserable run of form.
City exploded out of the blocks, scoring within the first minute.
Foden met Matheus Nunes’ delivery and calmly placed the ball past Lucas Perri to give the hosts an instant advantage.
They doubled the lead midway through the first half when Josko Gvardiol reacted quickest inside the area.
Leeds’ goalkeeper protested he had been impeded, but the goal stood.
At that stage, the visitors looked overwhelmed, unable to keep the ball or build anything meaningful going forward.
Perri’s sharp goalkeeping prevented further damage before the break, keeping the scoreline respectable.
The match swung after Daniel Farke introduced Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose presence immediately troubled City’s defence.
A deflected ball fell his way, and he stabbed in the visitors’ first goal to spark belief.
Leeds pushed on and earned a penalty when Gvardiol fouled Calvert-Lewin.
Lukas Nmecha saw his first effort saved but smashed in the rebound to bring the game level and stun the Etihad.
With City running out of ideas and frustration mounting, it was Foden who rescued them.
Deep into added time, the midfielder found space inside the box and drilled a precise left-foot finish into the bottom corner to clinch the win and halt City’s slide.
While Foden’s brilliance secured the points, City looked vulnerable once Leeds pushed higher up the pitch.
Their difficulty handling direct play will raise questions about the consistency required to challenge Arsenal across the season.
Still, their star midfielder ensured the debate can wait another week.
Leeds’ first-half approach-long balls and little support-never looked likely to trouble City.
But Farke’s bold switch to two strikers and a more aggressive setup after the interval completely changed the dynamic.
Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha rewarded the gamble with goals, and for a brief spell, Leeds looked capable of taking an unlikely point.
Ultimately, they were undone by a moment of quality rather than a lack of effort.
