Lukas Nmecha: Scoring there was an amazing feeling | OneFootball

Leeds United showed real fight at the Etihad on Saturday despite their loss, equalising from 2-0 down and pushing the heavyweight Sky Blues to the brink. After the match, forward Lukas Nmecha spoke exclusively to Premier League Productions about the Whites’ performance on the weekend and his youth career at Manchester City.

“We changed formation a little bit at half time,” Nmecha said. “In the second half we chased them a bit more, went a bit more man for man. We could be a bit more physical, and I think it worked well.

“That change of formation, which I think was a bit unexpected for City, made a big difference. I think you could see them panicking. And we did get back to 2-2. It is just a shame that we gave it away. That second goal from Phil Foden was so disappointing.

“Still, our performance at the Etihad gave us a lot of confidence that we can compete in games against anyone. Hopefully we can carry some momentum into the game against Chelsea.”

Leeds’ trip to Manchester marked a homecoming for the German striker, who made more than fifty appearances for City’s academy and three for the first team between 2015 and 2021.

“It was amazing to get back to the Etihad. When we got there, my memories of being a ball-boy just came flooding back. It was just a joy to be on that pitch. To be honest, I just tried to soak it all in. City is where I developed, where I got all my technical skills.

“I think God blessed me with that penalty, how it just bounced straight back to me. Scoring there was an amazing feeling.”

With another Premier League test set for the Whites on Wednesday against Chelsea, Nmecha expressed confidence in his team to get a result.

“I watched Chelsea against Arsenal yesterday and they are very impressive,” he admitted. “They are a very talented group.

“But I think if we take this in our own arms, we have the players and the talent ourselves to compete. There are just some fine details we need to focus on game after game, and we need to learn how to manage the game a little bit better at times. The goal is survival.”