In the aftermath of matches, the customary walk around the pitch is now referred to as a lap of appreciation rather than a victory lap. For Manchester City, this change is fitting as their latest performance mirrored a sense of mild regret rather than triumph.

Or perhaps it was more like relief. The match served as a jarring wake-up call for City, despite Phil Foden’s breathtaking last-minute goal that should have sparked celebration. Instead, it highlighted their worst outing this season.

During this match, the first team mirrored Tuesday’s second string, uncertain and lacking confidence. This was evident as Leeds United clawed back with two goals in just over 20 minutes after halftime. The goals came courtesy of a revitalized Dominic Calvert-Lewin and former City academy player Lukas Nmecha, who converted a rebound from his own missed penalty.

Prior to this, Guardiola seemed relaxed. Although City wasn’t at their peak, they were in control, knowing that their season traditionally gains momentum later. With four consecutive victories in all competitions following a subpar, yet not disastrous, loss to Aston Villa, players like Rayan Cherki were beginning to shine, and Matheus Nunes was adapting well to his role, temporarily easing the absence of Rodri.

However, that period of dominance feels distant now. The memory of decisively defeating Liverpool just three weeks ago seems like a relic. As Leeds leveled the score to 2-2, the City bench’s confidence visibly waned, while the visitors’ bravery and tactical prowess likely secured Daniel Farke additional time at the helm.

Phil Foden scored a late winner as Man City battled to a 3-2 victory against Leeds United

City had thrown away a 2-0 lead at the Etihad, but Foden’s late strike gave them all three points

Foden had opened the scoring in the first minute as City looked to bounce back in the league

Josko Gvardiol doubled Man City’s advantage as Pep Guardiola’s side looked on course for a comfortable win

Dominic Calvert-Lewin came off the bench and gave Leeds hope in the second half

Calvert-Lewin was then brought down by Gvardiol in the box to give Leeds a penalty

From Nmecha’s equaliser on 68 minutes, this felt like stoppage time. City rushed, Guardiola hopped and panicked. There have of course been games at the Etihad Stadium across this manager’s reign when all seemed lost from a fair way out but this had an aimlessness to it until Foden took matters into his own hands. His brace means Burnley’s Maxime Esteve is no longer City’s second top scorer behind Haaland.

Before that moment, shimmying across two defenders and arrowing home, City were lost.

Ruben Dias complained of Leeds timewasting without irony, a man who had earlier implored Gianluigi Donnarumma to go down so Guardiola could conduct a tactical debrief. Donnarumma was booked for dissent, remarkably now only one yellow card away from a suspension.

Josko Gvardiol, who had earlier scored the second from a corner, passed one sideways ball straight out of play. That was after poleaxing Calvert-Lewin for Nmecha’s penalty. Nunes made not one but two major errors in the build-up to Calvert-Lewin’s earlier goal. Bernardo Silva attempted a dive to win a penalty. A catalogue of indignation.

Leeds were excellent when altering to 3-5-2, Farke showing that there is something here in this relegation battle. ‘Heartbreak for my players but they should take lots of pride,’ Farke said. ‘We didn’t come here for warm words and the feeling is disappointment but it gives us belief.’

City will need to hope this acts as a springboard, to banish the annoyance of injustice at Newcastle United and then the mind-bendingly poor display against Bayer Leverkusen. Guardiola suggested the team he picked in the Champions League were fragile, that they don’t believe in themselves. Some of them out there against Leeds didn’t seem to either, so what the City manager decides to do at Fulham in the week should be fascinating.

Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Lukas Nmecha’s penalty but was unable to hold the ball

Nmecha seized upon the rebound to level and give Leeds hope of an unlikely point

Man City looked set to drop more points in the title race until Foden’s superb late winner

‘It’s definitely a relief,’ Guardiola said. ‘We’re not a team to win this type of game a lot. Our game was not (good). Before the goal we had two or three chances to score. The points were massively important for our mood after two defeats. Football is emotions.

‘Maybe we can learn to win these type of games, to bring the balls quicker to the box. These are not tactics, strategies, it’s just put the ball in there for the chaos and you score. Pep Lijnders is now with me and how many times did Liverpool win these games?’

Guardiola pointed towards missed opportunities before half time, when Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly squandered chances, and he is right because City might have gone in four goals clear. Were that to have happened then Farke’s alterations, Calvert-Lewin’s influence and City’s nervousness, doesn’t come into play. Perhaps once this settles, they will see it as beneficial to have gone through. Just not today.