And so the dance continues. Liverpool win and then Manchester City win. Same as always. Nobody blinks and nobody breaks. Liverpool wins in sound, rebirth and sport in Newcastle. City are winning against the heat, hostility and nerves of relegation to Leeds. And City keeps their noses in front. And the finish line is getting a little closer.
We were here three years ago. We spent much of this spring 2019 season waiting for City to crack as well. It was the season of Vincent Company’s goal against Leicester City, which seemed to dispel the last hint of vulnerability in the team of Pep Guardiola. City did not crack then and so far there are precious little signs that they will burst now.
Even amid the usual rage and hatred of Elland Road, which welcomes any country that dares to cross the Peninsula, City did not worry. They took everything Leeds could throw at them and put him back in goals. They showed that they can fight for the title, as well as paint beautiful pictures in pursuit of it, and came out of the test proud, unyielding and again one point ahead of Liverpool with four games left.
Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 victory over Leeds on Eland Road
Rodrigo opened the scoring for City in the 13th minute when he headed home after an inviting free kick by Phil Foden
Nathan Ake doubled the visitors’ lead after the break after Ruben Diaz headed him out of Foden’s long corner
The city was great. Let’s face it, they usually are. Phil Foden grows in height and balance with every game he plays, and it’s getting easier to see in him a player who may soon be one of the best in the world, a young man with magic and wonder in his boots. There were times when Leeds had no answer for him. Rahim Stirling also tormented their defense. The City Quartet was impregnable.
MATCH FACTS
Leeds United (5-4-1): Meslie 6.5; Dallas 5.5 (James 45), Isling 5.5, Koch 6, Stream 6, Firpo 6 (Gelhard 62, 7); Rafinha 7, Phillips 7, Klich 5.5, Harrison 6; Rodrigo 6 (Greenwood 83)
Unused alternates: Klaesson, Llorente, James, Bate, Cresswell, Shackleton
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 7; Cancello 7, Diaz 8, Laporte 8, Ake 8 (Zinchenko 60, 6); Rodri 8 (Fernandinho 83), Gundogan 7; Sterling 7.5, Foden 9 (Silva 80), Grealish 7; Jesus 8
Unused alternates: Steffen, De Bruyne, Marez, Egan-Riley, Mbete, McAtie
Judge: Paul Tierney 4
Guardiola and his team must negotiate matches against Newcastle, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa to make sure they keep their title and deprive Liverpool of at least one stage of their four-man experience. The way they play, it’s hard to see that they are losing a point, although more superstitious fans are worried about the last game of the season at Villa Park against a team led by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
Leeds has other concerns. It was a particularly gloomy night for them, when the bad news came before the match started. Burnley’s late victory at Watford lifted them above Jesse Marsh’s team and left Leeds hanging in one spot above the fall zone. Everton, the team below them, has five points behind, but has two games in hand.
Nothing happened for the hosts. Their captain Liam Cooper was injured in the warm-up, Stuart Dallas was carried on a stretcher, Marsh received a yellow card from referee Paul Tierney and their goal difference was sealed. The march left at the end, pounding in rapture as Leeds fans chanted their challenge. It felt like a rather strange reaction of destruction with 4-0.
The first chance was for Leeds in the fourth minute. It was a gift from the champions. Joao Cancello, one of City’s best players this season, oversees Leeds’ midfield clearance. At first he stood alone, but when the Leeds players turned to him, he slipped. Rodrigo could hardly believe his luck and sprinted towards the goal, but he was gradually rebuilt and when he finally got his shot, Ruben Diaz came back to block it.
The crowd roared in encouragement and the Leeds players responded mostly with muscle in the match. There were times when City must have wondered if they had returned to Wanda Metropolitano with Atletico Madrid flying to them. Jack Grillish and Foden were selected for repeated fouls. Firpo Jr. soon received his name.
Stuart Dallas (left) flew into the back of Jack Graysh (right) at a fast pace and caused damage in the process
The Northern Irishman seemed to be in great pain as his team-mate Calvin Phillips did not leave him while he was being treated.
The Leeds man was finally crucified to applause and applause from “There’s Only One Stuart Dallas” by fans
Leeds manager Jesse Marsh has been pathetic about the antics of his behind-the-scenes staff away from Paul Tierney (right)
Nearly a quarter of an hour later, Stuart Dallas knocked down Rahim Stirling as he kicked the ball past him. Foden spun the ball close to the left outline, and Rodri made perfect his run through the face of Leeds’ defense, rising above Calvin Phillips and throwing his head past Ilan Meslie to bring the visitors forward.
The strongest greeting of the half came a few minutes later when Grilish, whose only sin so far was being blown up several times, knocked down Dallas when he jumped out of his own half and received a yellow card from Mr. Tierney . Tierney was regularly scolded by Leeds fans, but if nothing else, he was too lenient with some of Leeds’ bolder challenges.
The game was stopped a few minutes before halftime after a clash between Robin Koch and Aymeric Laport. Laporte seemed particularly confused, but as is often the case with football, it was decided that both players had somehow avoided a concussion. And so they were both allowed to play. It still looks very bad for the game.
Aymeric Laporte (center) and Robin Koch (second right) collided head-on as they both headed for the Leeds ball in the penalty area
Both players were eliminated for a long time, while the City defender remained motionless for more than two minutes
City were still in full control, although Guardiola appeared puzzled and angry when Greenish made a pass to heaven, when he had the time and place to control him and find a teammate. It was very non-urban. Very non-Pep. This was another symbol of the fact that Grilish is still struggling to thrive in his new club.
City almost went ahead two minutes before half time when Luke Eyling stepped on the ball in the Leeds penalty area and fell. It passed freely to Gabriel Jesus, who threw it to Stirling, but his shot was blocked by Koch and after a short pinball in the area was cleared. Eyling raised his hand in gratitude and apology to his teammates.
At the end of the half, Dallas and Greenlish took the same ball almost halfway. Grillish reached him first, and Dallas collided with him and sent the City midfielder to fly through the air. They both lay sprawled on the grass, but Grillish soon got up. Dallas didn’t. He was carried on a stretcher amid obvious concern from his teammates and replaced by Daniel James.
Gabriel Jesus did not hesitate to pull the trigger for the third, as Foden found him in the center of the penalty area with a sublime pass
Fernandinho complicates Leeds’ misery by grabbing the late fourth in injury time by stabbing him in the bottom left corner
After Stirling nearly scored a goal with a dancing run and a shot that was blocked at the six-yard line at the start of the second half, City duly extended their lead from the resulting corner. Foden raised the blow to the back beam, where Ruben Diaz nodded. Nathan Ake reacted before Pascal Struke and passed him past Meslie at close range.
City finished the score 12 minutes later with a beautifully executed third goal. Ederson made an accurate pass from his area, heading for Cancello on the right, and Cancello ran forward to meet him, bumping him into Foden’s path. Foden touched and then sent another accurate pass to Gabriel Jesus, who was a ghost in the penalty area. Jesus controlled him and pierced him with his right foot past Meslie.
After Ederson brilliantly saved from reserve Joe Gelhard in the final stages, Fernandinho, the City’s second-half substitute, added even more sparkle to City’s night when he took advantage of the chaos Stirling caused in the area and struck a low blow past Messlie from 20 yards to make it 4-0. Liverpool continue, but so does Manchester City.
Here’s Sportsmail’s live blog for updates on tonight’s Premier League clash between Leeds and Manchester City.
Add Comment