Manchester City close gap to two points at top after Semenyo sinks Leeds

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. 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 early on. Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a glorious chance to open the scoring but skewed Brenden Aaronson’s cross wide. There was a break in play after 13 minutes to allow numerous Muslim players to break their fast at sunset, which prompted a chorus of jeers at Elland Road despite the big screen explaining the pause and created an uncomfortable atmosphere for Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov.

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