Man City 3 Leeds United 2: Lee Sobot's Video Verdict
Leeds United’s fans have had their say on Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester City.
Leeds United’s fans saw their side suffer a heart-breaking last gasp 3-2 defeat at Manchester City - but what did they think to the performance? Here is what our YEP Jury had to say including the impact of an “incredible” Whites development and ultimately a “better option” for Daniel Farke.
KEITH INGHAM
Leeds may have lost their fourth game in a row but the second-half performance by Daniel Farke’s charges after changes at the break gave hope for forthcoming games against Chelsea and Liverpool.
Farke rang the changes, five in total with Gnonto, James, Tanaka, Gruev and Justin starting but within a minute his team were a goal behind, Foden scoring the opening goal. It got worse with Gvardiol getting the second before the half-hour mark.
Something strange happened at the break….Farke made substitutions! Bijol and Calvert-Lewin came on for Gnonto and James. Leeds pegged a goal back when a defensive mix up gave Calvert-Lewin a chance and he didn’t miss it.
Incredibly, Leeds levelled the game when they were awarded a penalty, Nmecha’s effort was parried back to him and he scored to send the away section into raptures.
It seemed that Leeds might get an unlikely draw but a minute into injury time, Foden scored from just inside of the penalty area.
There was much to take out of the second half of the game. The team looked more solid and hopefully this system is used going forward.
Men of the match: Jayden Bogle.
“On this occasion, he did, and it worked”
DAVID WATKINS
Everyone thought we’d get a walloping, and with just a couple of minutes on the clock, it looked like everyone was right!
City had never looked at their very best, though, and, at 2-0 at the break, most fans would have been content with a three or four-goal defeat.
Daniel Farke seldom makes changes at half-time, but on this occasion, he did, and it worked.
The arrival of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the pitch alongside Lukas Nmecha, and Leeds taking a more direct approach, removing Willy Gnonto and Dan James, suddenly gave City problems.
DCL found his goal-poacher touch and then won a penalty that Lukas Nmecha dispatched (eventually!), and Leeds looked on for an unlikely point.
Phil Foden admitted after the game that it was only the impromptu conference that Pep Guardiola held with his players while goalkeeper Donnarumma was down with a suspicious ‘injury’ that reorganised City for the final minutes, during which Foden himself drilled in the winner.
At the end of the day, though, Leeds were undone by three more soft goals – another down our leaky left, some poor work defending a corner, and failing to close down Foden – goals that we simply must find a way to prevent.
Man of the match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
“The players are behind him and the effort is there”
NEIL GREWER
This was a harsh result, from another game of two halves.
We feared the worst when, in the first minute, the left side of defence switched off again and Phil Foden put City ahead.
That was followed 20 minutes later by Gvardiol stabbing in from a corner.
Daniel Farke had made five changes including the left flank and reductions in height.
For the second half, Farke introduced Jaka Bijol and Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the formation changed to three centre backs with two up front.
This was Farke showing a structured Plan B rather than the panic-induced previous version.
Remarkably, the plan worked and within four minutes Calvert-Lewin had pulled a goal back and later won a penalty which Lukas Nmecha converted at the second attempt.
City eventually managed to adjust to the new Leeds (helped by a dubious injury allowing Pep Guardiola to hold a pitch-side conference with his outfield players) and Foden produced a quality finish in injury time.
The second half certainly gave Leeds, and Farke, hope.
The players are behind him and the effort is there, if not the quality.
Man of the match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (finally reaping the rewards of his endeavours).
“The game showed that Daniel Farke is able to overcome one of his biggest criticisms”
ANDY RHODES
What can you say after a defeat like that? The positives in the second half were massive but the last-minute goal for the hosts was a killer.
Leeds had earned a point. Not many sides come back from 2-0 behind to get anything at the Etihad.
The Whites were close but the hosts’ quality shone through in the end.
Although it was another defeat, the game showed that Daniel Farke is able to overcome one of his biggest criticisms.
The half-time change to a 3-5-2 formation worked brilliantly and turned the game in its head.
Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t live with an invigorated Leeds United outfit and it required the City goalkeeper to arrange a tactical time out.
Of course, Leeds did lose in the end but there were serious positives to take from the game.
Two strikers were on the Leeds scoresheet and they fought from two goals down at a notoriously difficult place to go.
The Whites will need to take that fighting spirit into their next two home games.
Man of the match: Lucas Nmecha.
“When it’s a fight for survival, shuffling the pack is surely a better option”
‘You Get Nowt for being Second’ was the title of Billy Bremner’s autobiography.
Leeds came away from the Etihad with nowt on Saturday but they came away with pride after a brave fight.
They were dead and buried at half-time thanks to goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol and it seemed only a question of how many goals Manchester City would score.
Daniel Farke has often been criticised for the timing and effectiveness of his substitutions but nobody could accuse him of this on Saturday. He changed both the personnel and the formation at half-time which seemed to rattle City to the core.
When you’re dominating the Championship and scoring goals galore, sticking to the same formula makes sense.
When it’s a fight for survival, shuffling the pack is surely a better option. After all, when struggling clubs appoint a new manager, the famous ‘bounce’ is usually the result of change and not much more.
Great work from Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Leeds level and he was then chopped down in the penalty area for Lucas Nmecha to convert.
The Whites held on before having their hearts broken by Phil Foden right at the death.
Man of the match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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