May 01, (THEWILL) – Manchester City beat Leeds United 4-0 at Elland Road to reclaim top spot in the English Premier League rankings in a back-and-forth with title rivals Liverpool, that looks certain to go down the wire.
In the early exchanges, Rodrigo raced away with possession on the counter after Joao Cancelo made a mistake, but the Spaniard was too hesitant and Ilkay Gundogan returned just in time to block his weak cross.
Rodri helped City punish Leeds wastefulness when he scored after 13 minutes by eluding Robin Koch and Kalvin Phillips to head in a Phil Foden free-kick.
When a cross fell to Junior Firpo right inside the City box, he smashed a shot over the bar, then Raphinha’s low ball across goal just eluded Stuart Dallas.
Then, Luke Ayling lost possession allowing Gabriel Jesus slip in Raheem Sterling for an opportunity for City to extend their lead, but Pascal Struijk raced out just in time to block his goal-bound shot.
Just after the break, Jack Grealish and Sterling came close to piling on the pressure on Leeds, but neither could find the target.
Nathan Ake scored City’s eventual second goal after Ruben Dias knocked down Foden’s corner and the Dutchman, who was well-positioned in front of Struijk, found the back of the net.
Raphinha’s incredible run nearly resulted in a Leeds goal as the hosts piled on the pressure, but Aymeric Laporte put out a strong leg and deflected the Brazilian’s attempt just over the bar.
However, just as Leeds appeared to be making progress, Gabriel Jesus scored his sixth goal in his past four Premier League outings to seal the victory.
Dan James was able to round Ederson thanks to Joe Gelhardt’s brilliant pass, but the former Manchester United winger dallied and his shot was easily cleared off the line, denying Leeds a late consolation.
In stoppage time, Gelhardt forced Ederson Moraes into a smart save before City moved down the other end and added a fourth through substitute Fernandinho with what was the final kick of the game.
Liverpool were top for at least a few hours after beating Newcastle in Saturday’s early kick-off, but Pep Guardiola’s men replied superbly with a straightforward display in Yorkshire.
While City has reclaimed control of the title race, Leeds has slid to 17th place and is only four points clear of the relegation zone, despite having played two more games than 18th-placed Everton.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
