Hard-charging Manchester City went 4 issues transparent of Arsenal on the most sensible of the Premier League on Saturday, beating Leeds United 2-1 with a couple of near-identical objectives from Ilkay Gundogan, stretching their successful league run to ten video games.
City’s prolific striker Erling Haaland graciously passed the ball to Gundogan to take a penalty kick within the 84th minute for what would had been a hat-trick, however Leeds keeper Joel Robles had no bother turning apart his shot.
Pep Guardiola’s aspect had run circles round Leeds with a lot of very good scoring probabilities ahead of Gundogan struck within the nineteenth minute from the brink of the 18-yard field off a move from Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez teed up Gundogan once more 8 mins later in a carbon replica of his first purpose.
“We played an exceptional game,” Guardiola advised the BBC. “Our ownership recreation used to be actually excellent. First half of used to be outstanding. We had been perhaps now not as medical as we will have to had been.
“The second half, we cannot forget it is three games in six days with a lot of mental pressure. At the end, the game could be over with the penalty. But they score and we have to suffer. But we played really, really good.”
Guardiola had sought after Haaland to take the penalty, yelling: “You take it!”
“The game is not over,” mentioned the Spaniard. “It shows how nice and generous Erling is. If it is 4-0 with 10 minutes left, OK. But at 2-0? Erling is the best penalty taker right now so he has to take it.”
Rodrigo Moreno pulled one again for Leeds within the eighty fifth minute.
With 4 video games left, City have 82 issues to Arsenal’s 78, and if the Gunners lose to Newcastle on Sunday, City would be the overwhelming favorites to fasten in a 3rd consecutive identify.
Leeds, enjoying their first recreation below meantime supervisor Sam Allardyce who used to be parachuted in in a last-ditch effort to keep away from relegation, are teetering in seventeenth position – and all 3 groups under them have a recreation in hand.
Allardy admitted it seemed sure to be a blowout at halftime, however Leeds “changed in terms of pushing up the pitch.”
Despite a lot of scoring probabilities, and with the Etihad Stadium crowd cheering him on, Haaland used to be not able to increase the Premier League single-season report of 35 objectives he set previous within the week.
The 22-year-old Norwegian, who’s operating roughshod over the report books in his debut Premier League season, will have had no less than a few objectives on Saturday, clanging one shot off the crossbar, any other off the submit, and narrowly lacking a few others that left him shaking his head in frustration.
“Today Erling could have scored two or three goals. He played incredibly well, in his movement and everything… how he fought for us,” Guardiola mentioned.
Treble-chasing Manchester City, who play Real Madrid on Tuesday within the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, are unbeaten in 20 video games thru all competitions.
The odds had been stacked towards Leeds, who’ve been in freefall for weeks and feature the leakiest protection within the most sensible flight, with 69 objectives conceded in 35 video games.
Chelsea ends dropping streak
Chelsea snapped a six-game dropping streak through beating Bournemouth 3-1 within the English Premier League on Saturday to earn its first issues since Frank Lampard returned as meantime supervisor.
After first-half objectives had been traded, defender Benoît Badiashile put visiting Chelsea forward within the 82nd minute when he redirected Hakim Ziyech’s loose kick previous goalkeeper Neto. João Félix sealed it from shut vary 4 mins later at Vitality Stadium.
Conor Gallagher opened the scoring within the 9th minute when he headed in N’Golo Kanté’s go. Matias Viña equalized 12 mins later with a roller within the a long way submit after a buildup that sliced thru Chelsea’s defence.
