Key stats
- Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their 28 games; only Arsenal (13) have done this more often in the Premier League this season.
- Gianluigi Donnarumma has been booked six times in the Premier League this season, twice as many as times as any other goalkeeper.
- Manchester City have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 22 of their 28 games, more than any other in the Premier League this season.
Highlights
Analysis
Manchester City survived late pressure from Leeds to earn an important three points on the road.
Match report
Manchester City’s need to win here was certainly greater than that of Leeds’, but it was the hosts who started on the offensive.
A huge chance couldn’t have fallen the way of a better person than Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as he was left unmarked in the area to sweep home Brenden Aaronson’s delivery, but he got his left-footed effort horribly wrong and skewed well wide of the post.
He then had a swift opportunity for redemption when he snuck into the area, only to drag another left-footed effort almost across the goal line and out for a goal kick.
Chances continued to come and go for Leeds as City struggled to get a foothold in the game, with Aaronson going mightily close when he darted across the near post and saw his goalbound flick heroically blocked by Marc Guéhi.
Indeed, it took City 39 minutes to force Karl Darlow into any kind of action, and after routinely thwarting Omar Marmoush, he was forced to beat away Nico O’Reilly’s header from just six yards out.
But City managed to garner some momentum just before HT, and took the lead somewhat against the run of play, when Antoine Semenyo freed himself in the area to turn home Rayan Aït-Nouri’s cross in first-half stoppage time.
As they did in the first half, Leeds emerged from the dressing room with a sense of purpose. And again it was Calvert-Lewin doing most of the menacing, as he was left unmarked at the far post, only for a last-ditch Matheus Nunes block to deny him an equaliser.
City were far from at their fluent best, but ought to have doubled their advantage just after the hour mark, when Rúben Dias’ miscued strike fell kindly for Omar Marmoush at the far post, but even at full stretch, he could only prod an effort wide of the far post.
The Citizens came even closer 10 minutes later through Guéhi, whose goalbound header was clawed off the line by Darlow. That provoked an attack-minded double change from Daniel Farke 15 minutes from time.
His gamble gave Leeds a platform to get back into the game, but despite applying some serious pressure on Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal, they were unable to find a breakthrough.
Tonight’s result sees City close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to just two points, while Leeds remain six points clear of the bottom three.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City)
Post-match comments
Man City head coach Pep Guardiola to Sky Sports: "Top, apart from the first 10 to 15 minutes here. But it's like that every game here at Leeds. They are so aggressive in duels, but after we made a lot of thousand, million passes. It still works in football.
"We controlled the transitions and everything. It was a huge victory to still be there.
"Bernardo and Rodri did really well. They made a lot of passes. We didn't find the balls behind a little bit, we had to look more. They made an extraordinary effort."
Man City match-winner Antoine Semenyo to Sky Sports:
"It means everything. We just want to win all our games on our side, and whatever Arsenal do, we'll have to wait and see.
"We have to control what we can control.
"A few friends said I should do something funny (for the celebration), so it's the first thing that came up in my head.
"Nice guitar, good performance, crowd loved it and that's it."