Haaland left out of Man City squad for Leeds after training knock
Erling haaland was left out of Manchester City's squad for the trip to Leeds on Saturday after suffering a minor knock in training, manager Pep Guardiola said, and City still managed a 1-0 win that cut their gap to Arsenal to two points.
Haaland sidelined after 'little injury' in training
Guardiola said haaland had "some problems" two days before the match and described it as "a little injury, " adding: "A little injury. It's not a big issue but not ready for today. " The striker, who has 22 goals in 27 appearances for City this season, missed the match at Elland Road in the city of his birth.
City cope at Elland Road and cut gap on Arsenal
Manchester City travelled to west Yorkshire aiming to cut the gap to league leaders Arsenal to two points and did just that, winning 1-0 at Elland Road. Antoine Semenyo's strike just before the break proved to be the matchwinner and secured City's fourth successive Premier League victory.
New-look forward line delivers without Haaland
Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo made up City's forward line in haaland's absence, with Rayan Cherki coming into the starting XI. Phil Foden, Savino and Jeremy Doku were named among the attacking options on the bench.
Key moments: Semenyo finish and build-up play
Semenyo's close-range finish came after approach play from Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Guardiola praised the performance, calling the reaction "amazing, unbelievable with the goal we scored" in a "tough, tough place. " The manager singled out Cherki, saying: "Cherki, for me, is the best game. Solidity and aggressive with the ball. All of them were really good, commitment and they stick with the game-plan. "
Guardiola expects short absence; squad depth noted
Guardiola said he does not expect the issue to be long-term: "We don't have spies in the training centre to deliver the info to our media. I think it is not a big issue. We will see. " When asked when haaland will be back he added: "I don't know. I wish he comes back. " The manager also noted that City have a better winning ratio in the league without Haaland than with him, though the team had to "dig deep" to subdue a fired-up Leeds at a raucous Elland Road.
Title race reminder and season context
Guardiola refused to be drawn on City's bid for a seventh title of his reign but stressed the margins: there are 10 games left in the Premier League, and "10 wins from their last 10 games guaranteeing the trophy no matter what Arsenal do. " He described the result as a "huge victory to still be there" and warned about fixture congestion, saying: "Recovery, there are many games, people are tired. Every game is really tough. The Premier League is better than ever. "
Unclear in the provided context: the precise return date for Haaland. Information from an external news contributor was noted in the original coverage.
Next on City's schedule is a run of league fixtures with 10 matches left in the season; Guardiola said recovery and timing will dictate when haaland returns, and the squad will continue preparations for the coming fixtures.
