For those wondering if Manchester City are over reliant on Erling Haaland, they offered a riposte at Leeds. It was neither a fluid nor entertaining victory but, importantly, it closed the gap at the top to two points, increasing the pressure on Arsenal in the process.
It helps that when the league’s top scorer is absent, City can rely on the third man in the charts. Antoine Semenyo scored his 14th of the season on a difficult night for Pep Guardiola’s side, making the full-time euphoria well deserved after what felt like a significant win.
Maybe it was the lack of Haaland or the vociferous nature of the home crowd but Leeds were the dominant force in the opening stages. There was more aggression and intent in their play, leading to Dominic Calvert-Lewin having a glorious chance to open the scoring but he skewed Brenden Aaronson’s cross wide.
There was a break in play after 13 minutes to allow the numerous Muslim players to break their fast at sunset. This resulted in a chorus of jeers at Elland Road, despite it being clearly indicated on the big screen why the match was paused. It created an incredibly uncomfortable atmosphere, especially for Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov, who are observing Ramadan.
