Match Report: Leeds United 1-3 Manchester City (Premier League)

Manchester City returned to Premier League action on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory against Leeds United.

Pep Guardiola’s post-World Cup squad traveled to Elland Road hoping to close the gap at the top with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City players were prepared for a close battle with Jesse Marsch’s men, who have cultivated a reputation for being workhorses on the pitch and had already beaten Liverpool and Chelsea this season.

The Blues started the match on a dominant foot, with Erling Haaland receiving his first chance in the opening minute.

Kevin De Bruyne took command in the midfield as he led the team’s attack with unparalleled brilliance, taking every chance to feed the ball to the Norwegian striker.

Haaland got close to scoring early in the first half but was denied by Illan Meslier. Despite the repeated shots at the goal, Meslier held his ground quite comfortably until the final moments of the first half.

De Bruyne started the attack from the halfway line, running through the Leeds midfield while linking up with Rodri.

The duo took the ball inside the box and passed it to Riyad Mahrez, whose shot at the goal was denied by a crumbling Meslier.

Rodri saw the opportunity to quietly push the ball back towards the goal, pouncing on the rebound and giving City a deserved lead after a series of futile attempts.

The second half saw Gundogan settle more comfortably at the heart of City’s attacks while De Bruyne moved to a more free-flowing role.

A misplaced pass between Leeds’ centre-back pair allowed Grealish to pounce on the ball and move it forward. He went one-on-one against the Leeds goalkeeper before unselfishly rolling the ball into Haaland for his 25th Manchester City goal.

Haaland and Grealish paired up once again for the third City goal inside the opposition’s box. Grealish accurately reversed a pass to the 22 year-old striker, who used his right foot to bury the ball in the far corner.

Meslier got to the ball but couldn’t prevent the landmark goal that would make Haaland the fastest player to score 20 goals in the Premier League. 

Leeds did manage to get on the scoresheet as Pascal Struijk pulled one back for the hosts after heading the ball into the bottom corner.

The eventful return to league action ended with City walking away with three points which gave them a much-needed boost in the title race.

The opener from Rodri and Haaland’s brace leaves City in second position, five points behind Arsenal. 

The defending champions hope to close the gap further before meeting Mikel Arteta’s team in February, with the Sky Blues having the opportunity to move two points behind the Gunners with a win over Everton on Saturday.