Man City dismantle Leeds, have eyes on Arsenal

✳ Premier League RESULTS
⚽ Leeds 1 Man City 3

⚽ Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth
⚽ Man United 3-0 Forest
⚽ Brentford 2-2 Tottenham
⚽ Southampton 1-3 Brighton
⚽ Leicester 0-3 Newcastle
⚽ Palance 0-3 Fulham
⚽ Everton 1-2 Wolves
⚽ Villa 1-3 Liverpool

⚽ Arsenal 3-1 West Ham

Manchester, UK | ManCity.com |  Just six days after Manchester City’s exceptional 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s side once again excelled, as goals from Rodri and Erling Haaland (2) secured three vital Premier League points that keep them in touch with Arsenal at the top of the table.

Haaland’s double means he becomes the quickest player to reach 20 Premier League goals having done so in just 14 games.

City started superbly, picking up where they left off after Thursday’s scintillating performance against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, playing some exceptional one- and two-touch football.

And Manchester City were almost ahead inside 40 seconds when Nathan Ake’s fine pass set Erling Haaland free, but Illan Meslier denied the striker’s attempted lob with an excellent one-handed save.

Kevin De Bruyne curled an effort wide of the post from just outside the area after being found by Rico Lewis, and the Belgian’s cross was inches away from Ilkay Gundogan’s head who surely would have scored if the ball had been more accurate.

Meslier denied Haaland again on the half-hour mark, rushing from his line to smother the striker who had been out clean through by De Bruyne’s pass, and seconds later Jack Grealish somehow turned the ball over from six yards out after Riyad Mahrez’s superb ball to the back post.

City were missing clear chances – and two more went begging in quick succession before the half-time break.

Grealish’s clever chip into the area found Mahrez, but he couldn’t connect from a few yards out, and De Bruyne’s outrageous no-look pass set Lewis free to burst into the box, but the move ended with Grealish somehow putting the ball over the bar from a good position.

A City goal felt certain, and it arrived seconds before the break in the form of a swift counter-attack.

A beautiful team goal 👌@ErlingHaaland’s 20th league goal of the season! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YgjHq58tUy

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 29, 2022

Leeds committed men forward for one of the first times in the half as they went in search of what would have been the ultimate sucker punch, but City won the ball back and produced a slick move that ended with Mahrez’s shot being well saved by the excellent Meslier, only for Rodri to tap home into the empty net.

It was the least City deserved having created 16 chances in the first 45 minutes.

City’s lead was doubled shortly after the restart when Grealish drove forward and squared for Haaland to score his 25th goal of the campaign in all competitions. There’ll be few easier finishes for the Norwegian this season.

And City soon had a third when Grealish and Haaland linked up to devastating effect once again. Having missed some gilt-edged chances in the first period, Grealish more than atoned with two unselfish assists in the second.

It meant Haaland notched his 20th Premier League goal in record time, reaching the milestone in just 14 matches.