Leeds United Vs Man City: Semenyo’s poacher sinks Leeds as Haaland sits out
In the latest leeds united vs man city meeting, January signing Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday, a result that moved City to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal while the team were without the injured Erling Haaland.
Semenyo makes the difference at Elland Road
Antoine Semenyo, the 26-year-old January signing from Bournemouth for £62. 5m, reacted quickest to a Rayan Ait-Nouri cross and finished with a poacher’s touch to silence a raucous, rowdy crowd at Elland Road. The single strike proved decisive in a tense 1-0 win over Leeds United on Saturday.
City’s standings and the title race pressure
The victory moved Manchester City to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. City have won four league games in a row and suffered one loss in seven games, form that has helped pile pressure on the Gunners. The Gunners host Chelsea on Sunday, and Arsenal and City are due to meet in April.
How Semenyo is easing Haaland’s burden
Sememnyo’s arrivals appears to be altering City’s goalscoring picture. Since signing from Bournemouth, Semenyo has scored six goals in 11 appearances and is the club’s top scorer this year. Since signing for City he has scored four league goals and provided one assist — a goal contributions record bettered only by Chelsea pair Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, who have six apiece. Semenyo’s 18 Premier League goal involvements sit behind only a City team-mate with 29 (name unclear in the provided context) and Brentford’s Igor Thiago on 19.
Guardiola’s reaction and the atmosphere
After the match Pep Guardiola strode onto the pitch and blew kisses towards his family in the stands; he said those gestures also contained a large dose of smugness directed at Leeds fans, who he said had been throwing insults at him during the game. Guardiola called the performance "a complete game in a tough, tough place, " adding: "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. "
Context on Haaland and City scoring
City played without the injured Erling Haaland for the match. In late November Haaland had accounted for 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. An unusual scoring note: Burnley’s Maxime Esteve was listed as City’s second-highest scorer in the league thanks to his two own goals in the game at the Etihad Stadium.
Where this leaves both clubs next
Leeds will regroup after a 0-1 home defeat, while City head away from Elland Road having extended their winning run to four league games. The immediate fixtures to watch are Arsenal hosting Chelsea on Sunday and the scheduled Arsenal vs Manchester City meeting in April, both matches that will shape the closing stages of the title race.
