Premier League

Leeds United 0

Manchester City 4 (Rodri 13’, Ake 54’, Jesus 78’, Fernandinho 90’)

Leeds: Meslier (GK), Ayling (C), Firpo (Gelhardt 62’), Koch, Klich, Raphinha, Dallas (James 45+7’), Rodrigo (Greenwood 83’), Struijk, Harrison, Phillips. Subs not used: Klaesson (GK), Llorente, Bate, Cresswell, Shackleton.

Man City: Ederson (GK), Dias, Ake (Zinchenko 59’), Sterling, Gundogan (C), Jesus, Grealish, Laporte, Rodri (Fernandinho 83’), Cancelo, Foden (Silva 79’). Subs not used: Steffen (GK), De Bruyne, Mahrez, Egan-Riley, Mbete, McAtee. 

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: 36,771 (2,911 away)

Referee: Paul Tierney

Booked: Firpo (Leeds) Grealish, Cancelo (Man City) 

Leeds United’s five match unbeaten run ended at home to Premier League champions and current league leaders, Manchester City, after the visitors showed a clinical touch in front of goal to take the three points. 

The first chance of the match came for Jesse Marsch’s side. A slip in the City defence from Ruben Dias allowed Rodrigo to race through on goal, but his effort from a narrowing angle was well blocked.  

Frustratingly for Leeds, City scored with their first real attempt of the match. Phil Foden delivered a pinpoint cross from a free-kick into the box, where the onrushing Rodri connected well and flicked a header into the far corner to put the league leaders ahead. 

The Whites did enjoy plenty of possession and had chances of their own. When pressing the visitors in midfield, both Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips were able to start attacks for Raphinha and Jack Harrison down the wings. 

Both Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas were supporting the forward players by overlapping down the flanks and that was resulting in crosses going into the City box and causing problems, but the away side defended well and cleared the danger on most occasions.  

There had also been quite a few stoppages in the first half for both sides to contend with. An aerial collision between Robin Koch and Aymeric Laporte had caused concern, from which both were treated and able to carry on. 

As the interval approach, a coming together between Jack Grealish and Dallas saw the Leeds player stretchered off the pitch after suffering what appeared to be a leg injury, to applause from all four corners of the ground. Dan James came on in his place. 

The half-time whistle was blown shortly after the substitution meaning City went into the break with the lead, in a match that had seen few chances but plenty of attacking intent.

HALF TIME: Leeds United 0-1 Manchester City 

The with atmosphere still electric inside Elland Road, the teams came out in the second half with no further changes made from either head coach as they both looked to continue their searches for three points.  

Like in the first half, City found the net relatively early again in the second, and again it was from a set-play. A deep corner saw Dias head the ball back into the middle of the goal where Nathan Ake was well-positioned to stab home and double the advantage for the visitors.  

The goalscorer was substituted by Pep Guardiola moments later as Oleksandr Zinchenko came on to replace him. Leeds made a change as well, as the the yellow carded Junior Firpo was swapped with Joe Gelhardt.  

The next good chance of the half fell the way of Leeds. Raphinha and James linked up well on the right and it created a chance for the Brazilian to run into the box, but when he shot, an outstretched leg from Laporte diverted the ball over the bar. 

With just over 10 minutes left, the table-toppers hit Leeds on the break and made it three. Foden had caused problems all afternoon and was the architect again, sliding the ball in for Gabriel Jesus to finish beyond Illan Meslier. 

Continuing to fight and trying to search for a goal, a brilliant ball from Gelhardt created a chance for James. He rounded Ederson, only to see his strike blocked on the line and cleared by Joao Cancelo then cleared, then seconds later Gelhardt shot himself only to see Ederson make a brilliant save this time. 

In stoppage time, the away side added another goal on the counter-attack with plenty of Leeds players up the pitch. It was second-half substitute Fernandinho who fired home a low effort on the edge of the box. 

Despite a hard-fought contest throughout and a good display both on and off the pitch, with the crowd in superb voice as ever right until the end, Manchester City ran out comfortable winners on the scoreline and took maximum points from Elland Road.  

FULL TIME: Leeds United 0-4 Manchester City