Credit: Imago
Credit: Imago
Match

'Head is gone' - Man City fans destroy starter's 'stinker' in win vs Leeds United

Harri Burton
Harri Burton

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

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Man City supporters were absolutely furious with one player as Pep Guardiola's side struggled against relegation-threatened Leeds United.

Phil Foden opened the scoring inside the first minute for the Citizens, only for Josko Gvardiol to double the home side's lead after 25 minutes, piling all the pressure on the West Yorkshire club.

Football Insider understands that Daniel Farke might have just one more game to save his job, and as Dominic Calvert-Lewin got one back early in the second half, there was a slim chance of a fightback from Leeds.

Calvert-Lewin has struggled in front of goal, but it was the former Everton striker who benefited from a Matheus Nunes mistake, putting the ball on a plate for him to slot home.

Man City midfielder Matheus Nunes
Matheus Nunes was blasted for his role in Man City's demise vs Leeds United. (Credit: Imago)

Matheus Nunes makes multiple errors in minutes vs Leeds United

Gvardiol was at fault as Lukas Nmecha scored the rebound from his missed penalty, having brought Calvert-Lewin down in the penalty area, but it was Leeds' first goal which caught the most attention.

Cutting back into the path of Calvert-Lewin, Nunes was left stunned by his decision after picking up a yellow card just moments before, leaving multiple fans to suggest his "head is gone".

Nunes has been a shining light for the Citizens over the last few weeks, but against one of the league's most under-pressure teams, it was one of his worst performances in a City shirt.

  • @cptstrkwlker: "Nunes will do something so good and then make 3 mistakes to counter it. Every time."
  • @czkearney: "Here to say it again, Nunes is an absolute liability at RB."
  • @i_am_karchies: "Nunes and Gvardiol should be ashamed of themselves. Undid everything they did in the first half."

Of course, Foden scored in added time to steal all three points in a 3-2 win, but it was still an embarrassing performance, nonetheless, given that Leeds were expected to be thrashed.

Josko Gvardiol also to blame for embarrassing Etihad Stadium scenes

While a lot of the focus was on Nunes, Gvardiol also played a huge role as Leeds made a brilliant and highly unlikely comeback at the Etihad Stadium, albeit Foden managed to find a late winner.

It was his miscommunication that forced his teammate into a vital mistake, before the Croatian gave away a penalty, which was ultimately punished by Nmecha.

Both players had been integral in the first half, Gvardiol scoring and Nunes assisting, but all of their work was completely undone during a concerning second 45 minutes at the Etihad.

It was the first time since January that Man City had thrown away a two-goal lead in the Premier League, but after defeats to Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen, many fans will not have been shocked.

Manchester City
Leeds United
Matheus Nunes
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