Manchester City shrugged off the uncertainty caused by a series of Premier League charges to close to within three points of Arsenal at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday (AEDT).
A cloud is hanging over the English champions after the Premier League hit the club with more than 100 charges alleging breaches of financial rules dating as far back as 2009.
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If found guilty, City could face a severe points deduction or even relegation from the top flight.
But City boss Pep Guardiola came out swinging in defence of the club’s hierarchy as he pointed the finger at jealous Premier League rivals for the accusations and his players followed him with a show of defiance on the field.
Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez all struck before half-time at the Etihad to edge ominously into Arsenal’s rear-view mirror ahead of a clash between the two on Wednesday.
Arsenal still have a game in hand, but City will now move to the top of the table should they win at the Emirates in midweek.
The Gunners’ 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on Saturday opened the door for City and unlike last weekend, when the defending champions missed the chance to pounce with defeat away to Tottenham, this time they made no mistake.
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Guardiola also learned his lesson from an experimental line-up at Spurs. Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan were restored to the starting line-up and City looked much more like their old selves.
The City support made their feelings known before kick-off as the Premier League anthem was booed and a banner raised saluting the lawyer the club have hired to defend the charges.
Just four minutes in they had something to cheer as Rodri rose highest to power home a header from Mahrez’s corner.
Jack Grealish was in the mood to do some damage against his former club and only a brilliant finger-tip save from Emiliano Martinez denied the England international from finding the top corner.
Much was made of City’s reluctance to hit Erling Haaland early in a feeble surrender to Spurs last weekend and the Norwegian was a far more persistent threat in behind the Villa defence.
Haaland, who joined City for $90m (AUD) in the off-season, created the second as his pace beat Martinez to De Bruyne’s ball over the top and he picked out Gundogan at the far post for a simple finish.
Grealish then lured Jacob Ramsey into a clumsy challenge to win a penalty, which Mahrez slotted home as Haaland surprisingly stepped aside.
That decision was perhaps explained by Haaland’s withdrawal at half-time as he appeared to be nursing a thigh issue, which will be a concern for Guardiola.
So too will be his side’s defensive record as another clean sheet was spoiled when Douglas Luiz robbed Bernardo Silva and freed Ollie Watkins to fire into the far corner on the hour mark.
Villa substitute Jhon Duran then smashed against the bar in stoppage time, but a second-half rally was too little, too late for Unai Emery’s men.
RASHFORD’S HOT STREAK CONTINUES AS RED DEVILS BRUSH ASIDE RIVALS
Marcus Rashford extended his hot streak with the late goal that inspired Manchester United’s 2-0 win against old rivals Leeds on Monday.
After Rashford scored to spark United’s comeback from two goals down in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Leeds, Rashford tormented the Yorkshire club once again.
Rashford netted with 10 minutes left at Elland Road to make it four successive Premier League games with a goal for the England forward, who has scored in eight of his last nine appearances in the competition.
Following Alejandro Garnacho’s frustrated reaction to being substituted on Wednesday, the Argentine teenager made amends as he came off the bench to seal United’s hard-fought victory five minutes after Rashford’s goal.
United’s win was just their second in their last five league games, although they have now lost just once in their last 17 matches in all competitions.
Erik ten Hag’s side moved up to second place, although Manchester City would go back above them if they beat Aston Villa later on Sunday.
More importantly, United are seven points clear of fifth placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.
The clash was marred by offensive taunts from the stands, with Leeds fans singing about the 1958 Munich air crash that killed several United players and their rivals in the away end responding by chanting about the deaths of two Leeds fans in Istanbul in 2000.
Fourth bottom Leeds are without a win in their last nine league games and would drop into the relegation zone if Everton beat Liverpool on Monday.
Since sacking Jesse Marsch on Monday, Leeds have seen their move for Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola blocked by his club, while Feyenoord’s Arne Slot and West Brom’s Carlos Corberan ruled themselves out of contention.
Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear insists the search is “well advanced”, but Michael Skubala was in charge for a second game on a caretaker basis.
Amid a cacophonous noise at Elland Road, Leeds made a frenzied start, with Crysencio Summerville firing over after a mistake from United left-back Tyrell Malacia.
In keeping with the aggressive tone of one of English football’s bitterest rivalries, there were early bookings for Summerville and Leeds team-mate Junior Firpo for a pair of crude fouls.
In the midst of a frenetic clash littered with fouls, Bruno Fernandes’s attempt to chip Illan Meslier was halted by a block from Robin Koch, with the United midfielder’s appeal for handball waved away.
Summerville was denied by David De Gea when he tried to poke home at the near post.
Fernandes wasted a golden opportunity when he ran clean through on goal after Max Wober’s mistake, only to shoot straight at Meslier.
Summerville carried the main threat for Leeds and he forced a good save from De Gea soon after the interval.
United were on the back foot and Luke Ayling went close with a shot that deflected narrowly wide off Luke Shaw.
After scoring United’s equaliser against Leeds in midweek, Jadon Sancho had been rewarded with his first league start since October, but the England forward was largely anonymous and came off after an hour.
United defender Diogo Dalot almost ended the stalemate with a fierce strike against the bar from the edge of the area.
De Gea had to make a smart save with his foot to deny Summerville’s drive from a tight angle before United finally made the breakthrough in the 80th minute.
Shaw whipped over a teasing cross and Rashford found space to thump in a powerful header from 10 yards, with the forward’s 21st goal this season surviving a VAR check for offside.
Garnacho put the result beyond doubt five minutes later when he surged into the area and shot past Meslier via the near post.
