Guardiola rang the changes, with seven alterations made from their last game against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, City went behind to Stuart Dallas’ first half opener before the visitors went down to ten men after captain Liam Cooper was dismissed for a bad challenge on Gabriel Jesus.
The league leaders found their equaliser after the break through Ferran Torres but Dallas’ strike on the counter deep into stoppage time saw Marcelo Bielsa’s men take away all three points.
"When you win I'm a genius, when you lose you have to take it," Guardiola said at a post-match news conference.
"I don't have regrets about the 11 selected because I trust them a lot. Maybe they don't trust me, but I trust them. If I didn't trust them they would not play.
"John [Stones] was fantastic, Nathan, Benja [Benjamin Mendy], all of them. Everyone was good.
"Playing against Leeds is difficult because they are used to winning duels and when you beat that duel they come back more aggressive than before to dribble again."
"It is a game of transitions. We had to avoid it, they did it. We defended well at their goal kicks, short and long. And after, 10 against 11, we needed inspiration of the players and especially don't let them run," Guardiola said, having withdrawn Ake in favour of playmaker Ilkay Gundogan before the hour mark – a move that appeared to leave City more vulnerable on the break.
"We did it during 37 minutes [in the second half] but before the goal we conceded Raphinha had a chance and Edi saved. The second one at the end we could not control it and we had to.
"In the last five years, always we work and talk about that. When you attack and attack and attack, always we have to control and don't let them run. If you don't, then it's impossible to play in this way."
