When Phil Foden struck the winner in the second minute of added time Pep Guardiola’s leap was laced with relief at Manchester City’s pursuit of Arsenal still being alive.
City had spurned a two-goal interval advantage after Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a half-time substitute, had terrorised the hosts. The 28-year-old scored in the 49th minute, then claimed the penalty that led to Lukas Nmecha’s 68th-minute equaliser, rattling Josko Gvardiol enough for him to scythe Calvert-Lewin down clumsily.
City’s response was admirable. The substitute Rayan Cherki fed Foden and he ran left along Leeds’s area before beating Lucas Perri. Yet the Leeds fightback had again illuminated City’s defensive frailties – they are just too easily raided along the flanks, in particular.
After 59 seconds, a diagram of City at their best was offered. Nico González swivelled in the central circle and tapped the ball to Gvardiol, who swept a 45-yard diagonal pass to Matheus Nunes. The right-back leaped to control it, relayed the ball infield to Bernardo Silva, darted forward, received possession again, and found Foden, whose finish went in off the bar.
As a riposte to Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen it was perfect, particularly as Foden and Nunes were two of the 10 changes that backfired on Guardiola. Another of those reinstated, Nico O’Reilly, created City’s next opening when dancing down the left and finding the busy Foden: the shot was blocked by a sliding James Justin, Gonzalez’s follow-up by Ilia Gruev.
