Leeds United Vs Man City — leeds united vs man city: Semenyo winner moves City close to Arsenal
leeds united vs man city at Elland Road ended 1-0 as January signing Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal to give Manchester City a tense victory and move them to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Match summary and goal
Antoine Semenyo's strike in first-half stoppage time proved decisive in a 1-0 win at Elland Road. The goal was described as a poacher's finish: Semenyo reacted quickest to latch on to Rayan Ait-Nouri's cross and converted with aplomb, silencing a raucous and rowdy crowd. The result came as City played without the injured Erling Haaland.
Semenyo's form and transfer details
City signed Semenyo from Bournemouth in January for £62. 5m. Since that move he has scored six goals in 11 appearances, making him the club's top scorer this year and easing the goalscoring burden on Haaland. Since signing for City, Semenyo has scored four league goals and provided one assist; only Chelsea pair Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, with six goal contributions apiece, better that return.
Team momentum and statistics
Semenyo's arrival has coincided with an impressive run of form for Pep Guardiola's side: four league wins in a row and one loss in seven games. Semenyo is taking the goalscoring burden off Haaland's shoulders — only his team-mate with 29 and Brentford's Igor Thiago have been involved in more Premier League goals than Semenyo's 18. In late November Haaland had scored 58% of City's goals, taken 30% of their shots and had 57% of their expected goals (xG); he had scored 19 goals in all competitions. Burnley's Maxime Esteve was City's second highest scorer in the league thanks to his two own goals in the game at Etihad Stadium.
Manager and player reactions
Twenty-six-year-old Semenyo said: "It means everything. We just want to win with our games on our side and, whatever Arsenal do, we just have to wait and see. We just need to control what we can control, win our games, and we will see what happens. "
Guardiola strode on to the pitch after the match and blew kisses in the direction of his family in the stands; he added that the gesture would also have contained a large dose of smugness towards the Leeds fans, who had been throwing insults towards him during the game. Guardiola said: "We made a lot of passes that we needed to do to survive without much intention to attack. The reaction was amazing - unbelievable with the goal we scored. A complete game in a tough, tough place, and 10 games left in the Premier League. Time to be decisive. Now we are building these players and they have a long, long time here. It is important for the future for the club. "
On the wider run-in Guardiola said: "A huge victory … we made a lot of passes … the guys made an extraordinary effort … [Semenyo's] impact has been really good … I wish [Haaland] comes back! … every game is really tough … Premier League is more competitive than ever … every game a real battle … to qualify for the Champions League is the main target for the club … we have a big gap … it is not done but this first step is massively important … one game at a time … three days [until the Forest game] … then after the FA Cup … thank you so much to let us play at 8pm instead of 3pm so we have less recovery to go to Real Madrid … so again, thank you so much … but we are going to deal with that. "
Leeds reaction and post-match incidents
Will Unwin was at Elland Road. Leeds assistant manager Eddie Riemer relayed Daniel Farke's reaction by proxy, saying he had "a short chat" with Farke and noting there were incidents, time-wasting and several yellow-card moments. Riemer said Farke questioned some actions late on — referencing six minutes time, five seconds to go and not allowing a set piece — and called some of the punishments harsh, arguing emotions are a big part of the game and that Farke is "normally never aggressive. "
Riemer also expressed disappointment about reports that some supporters booed during the brief break for those observing Ramadan to take on liquid, saying: "Disappointed with some supporters if it happened … we try to learn. "
The match featured a heated finish. Daniel Farke raced onto the pitch and made a beeline for referee Peter Bankes; the referee flashed red and Farke was sent off. Farke was described as "hopping mad, " with goalkeeper Karl Darlow stepping in between the pair and ushering his boss away. Tensions continued as Jayden Bogle and Rúben Dias were seen seething at each other and Bernardo Silva looked unhappy, with Guardiola in the middle trying to calm things down. Guardiola also stopped briefly to give Rodri an animated tactical debrief before teams left the pitch.
Table impact and next fixtures
The win moved Manchester City to within two points of leaders Arsenal, who host Chelsea tomorrow afternoon; Arsenal and City are due to meet in April. Leeds remain in 15th but retain a healthy cushion over the relegation places, helped by West Ham's earlier defeat at Liverpool. Semenyo said the squad are "happy, " called Leeds "very tough, " and noted City would get ready for the Forest game in the week.
leeds united vs man city ended with City claiming a narrow, hard-fought victory and a late-season momentum boost as the title race tightened.
