Haaland absent as Guardiola calls injury 'little' after Man City win at Leeds

Erling haaland was omitted from Manchester City's squad for the trip to Leeds after suffering a minor training knock, Pep Guardiola said. City nevertheless beat Leeds 1-0 at Elland Road, cutting the gap to Arsenal to two points as Antoine Semenyo's goal proved decisive.

Haaland left out after training knock, Guardiola says it is small

Guardiola explained that "two days ago in training he had some problems and a little injury, " and described it as "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, was a surprise absence from the line-up at Elland Road, in the city of his birth.

One report noted the knock happened in training on Thursday; Guardiola also quipped, "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 the forward would return he said, "I don't know. I wish he comes back. "

Semenyo's first-half strike seals 1-0 win and cuts gap to Arsenal

City travelled to west Yorkshire aiming to cut the gap to league leaders Arsenal to two points and did just that. Antoine Semenyo's strike just before the break — described as a close-range finish — was the matchwinner in the vital 1-0 victory, which also marked City's fourth successive Premier League win.

The goal followed approach play by Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Guardiola praised the reaction of the team, describing the performance as "complete game, in a tough, tough place" at raucous Elland Road.

Guardiola highlights squad depth and recent run without the striker

In Haaland's absence, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo made up City's forward line, with Phil Foden, Savino and Jeremy Doku named as attacking options from the bench. Guardiola stressed the squad coped without Haaland, noting City have a better winning ratio in the league without him than with him, even if the players "had to dig deep to subdue fired-up Leeds. "

He refused to be drawn on City's bid for the seventh title of his reign, but added that the destiny of the title is in their hands: "10 wins from their last 10 games guaranteeing the trophy no matter what Arsenal do. " He also warned about fixture congestion and fatigue, saying "Recovery, there are many games, people are tired. Every game is really tough. "

Youth recruits and recent signings credited for progress after overhaul

Guardiola singled out Rayan Cherki's performance, saying "Cherki, for me, is the best game. Solidity and aggressive with the ball. " He pointed to the long-term project behind recent arrivals, noting that the trio of Semenyo, Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri all joined City as part of Guardiola's overhaul in the last 18 months and that "we are building these players and they have a long, long time here. It is important for the future for the club. "

Reflecting on the team's attitude, Guardiola added, "Once again the guys make an extraordinary effort because otherwise it is not possible, " and observed that "after nine months, everyone knows what they want to do. "

Short-term outlook remains unclear in the provided context

While Guardiola expressed confidence that the injury is "not a big issue" and does not expect a long absence for the Norway star, the manager also admitted he did not know exactly when haaland would return. The length of the striker's time out is unclear in the provided context.