Erling Haaland continued his incredible season in front of goal with a brace to help Manchester City cruise to a 3-1 victory at Leeds United, ensuring the champions closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points.
The visitors had a hosts of chances in the first half on Thursday (AEDT), with Haaland twice denied by fine saves from home goalkeeper Illan Meslier, while England forward Jack Grealish blazed two efforts over from good positions.
Erling Haaland has been on a goalscoring tear.Credit:Getty Images
It appeared City would go into the interval frustrated, before Spanish midfielder Rodri finally made one count in first half stoppage time, firing home after another Meslier save.
Back in the city of his birth, where his father was a player for Leeds, Norway international Haaland effectively put the game to bed early in the second half with a simple finish, before taking his league tally to 20 for the season in the 64th minute.
Pascal Struijk gave home supporters faint hope of a comeback as he headed home with 17 minutes left, but it was always going to be a consolation against City in this mood.
The victory helped second-placed City move back to within five points of Arsenal at the top of the standings, while Leeds stay 15th, two points clear of the relegation zone.
“I have a [goal] target but I cannot say it,” Haaland told Amazon. “I just said inside the dressing room that I could have scored five, but the most important thing is that we won.
“We have to hunt Arsenal. I could have scored a couple more but that’s life and I have to train more.”
City lost their last league match before the World Cup break to Brentford but dominated from the start in West Yorkshire, with Haaland wasting no time in having a first attempt at goal, seeing his effort to loft the ball into the net well saved after just 36 seconds.
Against the side they conceded 11 goals over two league matches last term, Leeds remained up against it as Haaland was presented with another golden chance to break the deadlock but he again could not beat Meslier.
The opportunities kept coming and going for City, but finally, with their 16th shot of the opening period alone, Rodri was on hand to stab the opener home.
Alfie Haaland took 181 Premier League appearances to score 18 goals in the competition, but his son needed just 14 to overtake him, slotting home Grealish’s pass six minutes into the second half to double City’s lead.
Haaland then smashed the record for number of games needed to reach the 20 mark by converting another Grealish pass to make it three, needing seven fewer matches to reach such a goal tally than the next quickest, Kevin Phillips.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch felt the timing of the goals his side conceded were their undoing.
“One thing you know about Man City is that they are able to manipulate the game with possession and unbalance you but they were able to get us on the transition twice and there was a giveaway from us which gifted them a goal,” Marsch said.
“We contained them well in the first half and we were pretty stable. Then that early goal after the break killed us.”
Neymar sent off after dive
In France, Neymar was sent off in Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-1 win against Strasbourg after the Brazil forward’s second-half dive in the penalty area in his first match since the World Cup.
Neymar picked up his first yellow card in the 61st minute for catching Strasbourg midfielder Adrien Thomasson in the face with his hand and then a second caution one minute later for diving.
The forward remonstrated face to face with referee Clement Turpin but to no avail.
It was Neymar’s fifth red card since joining PSG for a world record fee of €222 million euros (about $350 million) in 2017, and he will be suspended for his side’s next game at second-place Lens.
Neymar comes face-to-face with referee Clement Turpin after being shown a red card.Credit:AP
No other player has been sent off more often in the French league since the 2017-2018 season.
Neymar, who was in tears after Brazil lost to Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals, set up PSG’s opening goal at Parc des Princes for countryman Marquinhos early on in a victory sealed by Kylian Mbappe’s penalty deep into stoppage time.
It seems Neymar didn’t stick around to see it.
Match broadcaster Canal Plus said Neymar left the stadium just minutes after his sending off.
Neymar has 11 league goals and 10 assists for unbeaten league-leader PSG this season.
Reuters, AP
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