Hard-charging Manchester City moved four points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, beating Leeds United 2-1 with a pair of almost identical goals from Ilkay Gundogan, stretching their winning league run to 10 games. took.
City’s prolific striker Erling Haaland politely handed the ball to Gundogan to take a penalty kick in the 84th minute, which would have been a hat-trick, but Leeds keeper Joel Robles had no trouble parrying his shot.
Pep Guardiola’s side created several excellent scoring chances around Leeds before Gundogan struck from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 19th minute from a pass from Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez struck a carbon copy of his first goal after eight minutes when Gundogan struck again.
“We showed an extraordinary game,” Guardiola told the BBC. “Our possession game was really good. The first half was exceptional. We probably weren’t as clinical as we should have been.
“The second half, we can’t forget that it’s three games in six days with a lot of mental pressure. In the end, the game could end with a penalty. But they score and we have to suffer. But we Played really, really well.”
Guardiola wanted Haaland to take the penalty, shouting: “You take it!”
“The game is not over,” said the Spaniard. “It shows how good and generous Erling is. If it’s 4-0 with 10 minutes remaining, fine. But at 2-0? Erling is the best penalty taker at the moment so he has to take it.”
Rodrigo Moreno pulled one back for Leeds in the 85th minute.
With four games left, City have 82 points to Arsenal’s 78, and if the Gunners lose to Newcastle on Sunday, City will be favorites for a third successive title.
Leeds, playing their first games under interim manager Sam Allardyce who was parachuted out in a last-ditch effort to avoid relegation, languish in 17th place – with all three teams below them in hand. It’s a game.
Allardyce admitted it looked to be a blowout at halftime, but Leeds “turned around in terms of pushing up the pitch.”
Despite numerous scoring opportunities, and being cheered by the Etihad Stadium crowd, Haaland was unable to extend the Premier League single-season record of 35 goals he had set earlier in the week.
The 22-year-old Norwegian, who is having a rough run on the record books in his debut Premier League season, could have scored at least two goals on Saturday, one shot off the crossbar, the other off the post, and one narrowly missing. Others left, shaking their heads in dismay.
Guardiola said, “Today Erling could have scored two or three goals. He performed incredibly well, in his movement and everything … how he fought for us.”
Treble-chasing Manchester City, who play Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, are 20 matches unbeaten through all competitions.
The odds were stacked against Leeds, who have been in freefall for weeks and have the weakest defense in the top flight, conceding 69 goals in 35 games.
The text of this story is published from a wire agency feed without any modification. Only the headline has been changed.
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