Leeds vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Erling Haaland hits a brace
The Premier League’s top goalscorer Erling Haaland starts as Manchester City look to close the gap on leaders Arsenal
Erling Haaland continued his incredible season in front of goal with a double to help Manchester City cruise to a 3-1 victory at Leeds United on Wednesday, ensuring the champions closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points.
The visitors had a hosts of chances in the first half, with Haaland twice denied by fine saves from home goalkeeper Illan Meslier, while England forward Jack Grealish blazed two efforts over from good positions.
It appeared City would go into the interval frustrated, before Spanish midfielder Rodri finally made one count in first half stoppage time, firing home after another Meslier save.
Back in the city of his birth, where his father was a player for Leeds, Norway international Haaland effectively put the game to bed early in the second half with a simple finish, before taking his league tally to 20 for the season in the 64th minute.
Pascal Struijk gave home supporters faint hope of a comeback as he headed home with 17 minutes left, but it was always going to be a consolation against City in this mood.
The victory helped second-placed City move back to within five points Arsenal at the top of the standings, while Leeds stay 15th, two points clear of the relegation zone.
Leeds 0-0 Man City
15 mins: Manuel Akanji moves the ball over to the left wing before slipping one down the line to Jack Grealish. Marc Roca is onto Grealish in a flash and seemingly wins the ball with a well timed challenge but the referee awards City a free kick.
The visitors work the ball over to Riyad Mahrez who brings it up to the edge of the box before laying it off to Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne picks his spot and curls a cross into the middle but Ilkay Gundogan can’t reach the pass with a diving headed effort.
Leeds 0-0 Man City
12 mins: Jesse Marsch looks tense and focused on the sidelines. He’s marshalling his troops and issuing instructions on how he wants Leeds to play.
They’re looking to keep things tight and then burst forward quickly when they win back the ball.
Leeds 0-0 Man City
9 mins: Jack Grealish has been given the nod to start tonight for Manchester City ahead of Phil Foden and will want to impress. He’s made a couple of decent runs down the left channel but has been quickly closed down by the Leeds defence both times.
Leeds 0-0 Man City
6 mins: Close! Manchester City commit men up the pitch as Riyad Mahrez drives forward with the ball. He slides a pass out to Rice Lewis on the overlap and the defender dribbles to the edge of the box before cutting the ball back to Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne takes a first time shot but curls his effort just wide of the nearest post!
Leeds 0-0 Man City
3 mins: Pascal Struijk and Wilfried Gnonto link up on Leeds’ left side and manage to get the ball as high as the penalty area before Struijk is dispossessed by the Manchester City defender.
City transition quickly and send the ball over to Jack Grealish who draws out a foul and wins his team a free kick.
Kick off: Leeds 0-0 Man City
As has been the case with all the Premier League matches this week there is a round of applause to commemorate the passing of George Cowen, one member of England’s World Cup winning 1966 side who died earlier this month.
The whistle goes and game gets underway. Manchester City take control of the ball and work it over to Nathan Ake on the left side of the pitch.
Ake flicks the ball over the top where Erling Haaland sprints in behind Liam Cooper. The forward lets the ball bounce into the box as Illan Meslier comes flying out to charge down the ball.
Haaland beats him to it and shoots but the goalkeeper gets a hand to the effort which is enough to take the sting out of the shot and Rasmus Kristensen tidies up with a clearance.
Leeds vs Man City
Here come the teams. Liam Cooper strides out at the head of the Leeds United line with Ilkay Gundogan captaining Manchester City this evening.
Leeds will give this one a good go but on paper Manchester City should have enough firepower to get themselves three points.
Kick off is up next...
A dynamic duo
Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville both scored in each of Leeds’ final four league matches before the World Cup. It was the first time a pair of team-mates had netted in four successive Premier League games.
Rodrigo starts for the hosts tonight but Summerville will have to make an impact off the bench.
Kevin De Bruyne tips ‘unique’ Erling Haaland to join Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s exclusive club
Kevin de Bruyne believes Erling Haaland’s obsession with goals he means he could join Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the select group of footballers who have scored 800 times in his career by the time he hangs up his boots.
The Norwegian has made a spectacular start to his Manchester City by scoring 24 goals in 19 games and, at the age of just 22, has already scored 200 goals for clubs and country.
De Bruyne, who has established a fine understanding with Haaland since the striker’s summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund, thinks he has the ability to quadruple that tally before he retires.
Ronaldo has scored the most goals in the history of professional football, with 819 goals for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Portugal, with Messi not far behind him.
De Bruyne tips ‘unique’ Haaland to join Messi and Ronaldo’s exclusive club
The Norwegian has scored more than 200 goals already and his Manchester City teammate believes he can quadruple that total before he retires
Back-to-back defeats for City?
Manchester City are aiming to avoid losing consecutive league games for the first time since December 2018 following their 2-1 defeat to Brentford before the World Cup break.
Yet, Pep Guardiola has lost eight Premier League matches as a manager in December, at least twice as many as in any other month.
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