Manchester City beat Leeds 1-0, moving within two points of the leaders and increasing the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
Antoine Semenyo scored the decisive goal just before half-time with a fluid move.
City looked to lack the influence of Erling Haaland, who was sidelined with a minor ankle injury, as Leeds were particularly wasteful in front of goal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brendan Aaronson wasting the 1.27 worth of goals they were expected to have before the break.
However, there was little response from Leeds in the second half, with City once again showing their ability to keep pushing and get results. On Sky Sports, all eyes will turn to Arsenal, who host Chelsea on Sunday.
Sunday, March 1st 4:25pm
4:30pm kickoff
Leeds’ bid to remain in the league has been gaining momentum ever since Phil Foden scored the winning goal in stoppage time in a come-from-behind game at the Etihad Stadium in November, and they have lost just two of their 14 league games since then.
They should have taken an early lead in the third minute when Calvert-Lewin sent a great cross from Aaronson wide of the goal. Leeds’ intense pressing saw them gain enough possession high up the field and Aaronson fired wide from Jayden Bogle’s cross. However, it was good for Leeds as they slowly started to take the lead.
City took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Rayan Ait-Nouri met Rayan Cherki’s superb through ball, broke through brilliantly from the left, and crossed for Semenyo to score his sixth goal for City in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Falke’s frustration boiled over at the final whistle and he was shown a red card for angrily charging at the officials.
However, Leeds still sit quite comfortably in the relegation battle. Although they are six points above the drop zone, Tottenham can advance if they beat Fulham, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports tomorrow at 2pm.
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Daniel Farke was shown a red card for strong words believed to be directed at referee Peter Banks and match officials after Leeds lost to Manchester City
Pep: Qualifying for the Champions League is the club’s main goal
Man City manager Josep Guardiola told Sky Sports:
“One game at a time. Recover now and start the real season when there are a lot of games and everyone is tired.
Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki (left) and Leeds United’s Jayden Bogle compete for the ball.
“We’re playing against a team that has given up on playing in Europe, so every game is really tough, like today. The Premier League is more competitive than ever. It’s a serious battle, but it’s important to take a real step towards qualifying for next season’s Champions League. That’s the biggest, biggest goal for the club, because we’ve always been there for the last 10 years and we’re the only Premier League team to be there.”
“There is a gap and it is not over yet, but it is a big gap and the first step is very big.
“What happened in the past is in the past. Do you want to tell us how it will go against Nottingham Forest? There is no answer to that. When we won 13 or 14 times in a row against Liverpool in the Premier League, we didn’t know when we would win 13 or 14 times in a row. We take it one game at a time. There are three days[until the game against Nottingham Forest].”
“And once the FA Cup is over, I’ll have less recovery time to play for Real Madrid, so thank you very much for letting me play at 8pm instead of 3pm. So thank you again very much. This is what you have to live with, but you have to deal with it.”
Leeds ‘disappointed’ after boos over Ramadan cancellation
Leeds assistant manager Edmund Riemer said the club was “disappointed” after a small number of fans booed the game’s cancellation to allow players to break their Ramadan fast.
Riemer replaced Falke, who was sent off, at full time.
Twelve minutes into the match, the referee blew the whistle to allow Muslim players to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. There were boos from the home team during the game’s suspension.
The Premier League has confirmed that play will be halted in matches to allow players to rest before Ramadan begins.
“I’m focused on the game. I’m disappointed with some of the supporters, but we’re learning from it,” Riemer said.
Guardiola said the boos were “unfortunate” and that fans must “respect religion and diversity”.
“It’s the modern world, right? You know what happened in the world today, too, right?” he said.
“Respect religion, respect diversity. That’s the important thing. That’s the rule, we didn’t say that. It’s the Premier League that said you can take a minute or two of the game to fast and the players should do that too. So, yeah, that’s the way it is. It’s unfortunate.”
Ait Nouri adds edge to City’s control
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones said:
If ever we needed a moment to showcase how Josep Guardiola is changing from a tactical standpoint, his winning goal at Leeds was that moment. Manchester City’s full-back wearing Rayan Ait Nouri charged into space. It’s not flowing to the infield. Not recycled and owned. He ran forward and scored the winning goal.
This is a different dimension from the city. For years under Guardiola, full-backs have been playmakers and defensive players, rather than sprinters. Think Joao Cancelo turning things around or Josko Gvardiol shutting down opponents one-on-one.
But Ait-Nouri provides Guardiola’s team with something that has been quietly missing. Runs directly and aggressively down the left side.
Classic wing play, played by a modern full-back with a quality final ball.
While the assist itself was accurate and calm, it was the movement that did the damage. Leeds weren’t expecting that. Ait-Nouri has caused chaos in Guardiola’s regime, which is built on control, but it is these moments of unpredictability that could prove to be a huge asset in this title race.
