Manchester City overcame a potential banana skin in comfortable fashion on Saturday, thumping Leeds United 4-0 at Elland Road to again take Premier League top spot off Liverpool's hands.
2021/2022 Premier League
0-4
Match Events
0' KICK-OFF! Who can win this match?
6' Yellow Card! Firpo booked
12' GOAL! Leeds United 0-1 Man City (Rodri)
13' Yellow Card! Grealish booked
34' CHANCE! Firpo's shot over the bar
37' Jesus' shot too straight
48' A violent collision!
53' GOAL! Leeds United 0-2 Man City (Ake)
61' CLOSE! Gundogan’s shot wide out
66' Yellow Card! booked
71' CHANCE! Raphinha's shot over the bar
77' GOAL! Leeds United 0-3 Man City (Jesus)
89' CLOSE! Gundogan’s header wide out
90' GOAL! Leeds United 0-4 Man City (Fernandinho)
Match Reports
The Reds had temporarily leapfrogged Pep Guardiola's men to the Premier League summit with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United earlier in the day, but the champions responded in the best way possible.
City led within a quarter of an hour through Rodri, though the ever-impressive Phil Foden had a hand in it. The Englishman whipped a freekick across goal and Rodri arrived to glance a header into the bottom corner. Leeds would have been pleased to get to half time just one goal behind.
But the Premier League leaders came out firing in the second half. Nathan Ake doubled their lead less than 10 minutes after the restart, poking in from close range after Ruben Dias had met a corner to head towards goal.
Foden was again involved as Gabriel Jesus' fine form continued by adding City's third. The Brazilian found space in the box before being picked out by Foden, and effectively sealing the points with his strike.
But there was time for more from the visitors and another Brazilian got himself on the scoresheet. Having had penalty appeals waved away as Raheem Sterling went down in the area, the ball broke for Fernandinho and he rifled in.
City now find themselves on 83 points with four games left to play. Liverpool are on 82.
Leeds now sit 17th on 34 points, five clear of Everton in 18th though the Toffees have played two games fewer.
Line-ups
Leeds United XI: M. Klich, Rodrigo, Ayling, S. Dallas, Koch, K. Phillips, Firpo, Raphinha, J. Harrison, P. Struijk, Illan Meslier
Subs: D.Llorente, Daniel James, K. Klaesson, Sam Greenwood, Jamie Shackleton, Joe Gelhardt, L. Bate, C. Cresswell
Man City XI: Gundogan, Sterling, Cancelo, Laporte, Ake, Ederson, Grealish, Ruben Dias, Jesus, Rodri, Foden
Subs: Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Zinchenko, Z. Steffen, Bernardo, CJ Egan-Riley, Luke Mbete-Tabu, J. Mcatee