English Football
Nervy Man City beat Allardyce’s Leeds to stretch lead
Leeds United threatened a late comeback against Premier League leaders Manchester City in Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge.
City scored two first-half goals and looked like they will stroll past Leeds but late drama at the Etihad Stadium created a nervy ending for Pep Guardiola’s team.
Ilkay Gundogan who scored City’s two goals was handed an opportunity to take the match ball home after Phil Foden was fouled in the box but his penalty was saved by but Leeds goalkeeper Joel Robles sparking an angry reaction from Guardiola who was pointing at Erling Haaland and telling the Norwegian that it was his responsibility to take the spot kick.
City had run circles around Leeds with numerous excellent scoring chances before Gundogan struck in the 19th minute from the edge of the 18-yard box off a pass from Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez teed up Gundogan again eight minutes later in a carbon copy of his first goal.
Rodrigo Moreno pulled one back for Leeds in the 85th minute.
With four games left, Pep Guardiola’s side have 82 points to Arsenal’s 78, and if the Gunners lose to Newcastle on Sunday, City will have all but locked up an illustrious third consecutive title.
Leeds, playing their first game under interim manager Sam Allardyce who was parachuted in in a last-ditch effort to avoid relegation, are teetering in 17th place – and all three teams below them have a game in hand.
Despite numerous scoring chances, and with the Etihad Stadium crowd cheering him on, Haaland was unable to extend the Premier League single-season record of 35 goals he set on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Norwegian, who is running roughshod over the record books in his debut Premier League season, could have had at least a couple of goals on Saturday, clanging one shot off the crossbar, another off the post, and narrowly missing a couple of others that left him shaking his head in frustration.
Treble-chasing Manchester City, who play Real Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, are unbeaten in 20 games through all competitions.
The odds were stacked against Leeds, who have been in freefall for weeks and have the leakiest defence in the top flight, with 69 goals conceded in 35 games.
