Manchester City vs Leeds United. Premier League.
Etihad StadiumAttendance53,406.
Report and free match highlights as Ilkay Gundogan scores brace as Man City extend lead at Premier League summit to four points; Gundogan's late missed penalty and Rodrigo's strike opened door for unlikely Leeds comeback
Sunday 7 May 2023 07:38, UK
Ilkay Gundogan's first-half double condemned Sam Allardyce to defeat in his first game in charge of Leeds as Manchester City held on to a 2-1 win to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Gundogan struck twice inside 27 minutes at the Etihad Stadium to all-but extinguish any chance of Leeds enjoying a new-manager bounce under Allardyce, as the champions piled the pressure on title rivals Arsenal ahead of their Super Sunday trip to Newcastle.
City were cruising to a comfortable victory until hat-trick hunting Gundogan took a penalty - ahead of record-breaking marksman Erling Haaland - and hit the post, and Leeds pulled a goal back through Rodrigo 58 seconds later.
City would see out a 10th successive Premier League victory, but the late drama left Pep Guardiola incensed and conjured belief that Allardyce may just be able to steer Leeds - who remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference - to safety before the season is up.
Allardyce took the bold decision to drop out-of-form goalkeeper Illan Meslier from a Premier League game for the first time this season, but his replacement Joel Robles came under constant fire throughout an imperious first-half attacking display from City.
After Julian Alvarez had blazed a gilt-edged chance over and Robles denied Haaland a 36th league goal of the season, City finally made their dominance count, with Gundogan effortlessly stroking the ball in at the near post from Riyad Mahrez's cutback.
Haaland's off-colour day in front of goal began when he fired a glorious chance wide after Kevin De Bruyne's superb lay-off, but City's second, a near carbon copy of their first, would soon follow.
The mercurial Mahrez cut inside and laid the ball inside for Gundogan, who controlled the ball before passing in his and City's second into the opposite corner of the Leeds net - his sixth goal of the season.
Leeds nearly hit back immediately but Weston McKennie's header from a corner was palmed away by the City goalkeeper just shy of the half-hour mark, before Haaland uncharacteristically lost his footing and shanked a chance to extend the hosts' lead to three wide.
Haaland's travails continued after the break as he sent a close-range header crashing against the woodwork within seconds of the restart before the Norwegian clipped the outside of the post with a shot on the swivel just after the hour mark.
Haaland would defy his manager Guardiola's wishes by handing Gundogan the chance to complete a first career hat-trick from the penalty spot after Phil Foden was fouled by Pascal Struijk in the area.
Gundogan fired the penalty onto the post and the miss would go on to be compounded less than a minute later when substitute Rodrigo fired a shot in at the near post to spark an unlikely Leeds comeback, but City managed the closing stages to secure a deserved victory.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola: "We play an exceptional game. We could have been more clinical more clinical up front but we've played three games in six days. After the Arsenal game, with a lot of tension emotionally and everything, the guys play some outstanding football in the first half.
"We had a chance with the penalty and we miss it, then it's 2-1 - in the Premier League with one goal in it it's never over. Always I had the feeling, when the game is 2-0, the main taker has to take the penalty. But that's how Erling is as a person. The top goalscorer, who has goals and goals, he gives it to his mate to make a hat-trick. I understand.
"Making a hat-trick is nice. Ilkay is a good penalty taker - he scores a goal and everything will be happy. We didn't drop points. It's a good lesson for the future."
Leeds manager Sam Allardyce: "We take some hope out of today on the second-half performance. Not the first, but the second. We now need to build on that and try to get a result.
"I was slightly fearful, but we sorted it out for the second half and told them they were playing with too much fear. They needed to get on the front foot and try to challenge them.
"When you see Man City running down the clock for four minutes at the end, you know you have given yourself a chance. We did right until the end, but it didn't quite happen."
Man City turn their attention to the Champions League for Tuesday's semi-final first leg away trip at Real Madrid, before resuming their Premier League title challenge at Everton on Saturday at 3pm.
Leeds have three games to preserve their Premier League status. They host Newcastle on Saturday May 13 at 3pm before heading to West Ham and then returning to Elland Road on the final day against Tottenham.
May 9: Real Madrid (A) - Champions League
May 13: Everton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 17: Real Madrid (H) - Champions League
May 21: Chelsea (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4pm
May 24: Brighton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 28: Brentford (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
June 3: Manchester United (N) - FA Cup final, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 21: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 1.30pm
May 28: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
