Manchester, Dec. 15 (BNA): Manchester City crushed Leeds United 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday to make it seven straight wins in the Premier League and move four points clear at the top of the table.
Marcelo Bielsa managed to get rid of Leeds by the City team who were at his best after taking the lead in the eighth minute through Phil Foden.
Foden scored, after Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Mesler went off to stop Rodri’s bid, to score the 500th Premier League goal the club had scored in 207 appearances under Pep Guardiola – the fastest goal of any team.
Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa has been unable to do anything to stop City’s outbreak, and his team’s wide open approach has certainly not helped much, Reuters reported.
Five minutes later, he doubled the lead when Jack Grealish met Riyad Mahrez’s cross with a powerful header that passed past Leeds goalkeeper Meslier.
Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0, displaying a great speed and finish, as he pulled in a superb through ball from the fantastic Rodri.
The match ended at the break but City showed no interest in mitigating and Leeds were unable to handle Guardiola’s side at their best.
Shortly after the second half, Mahrez added the fourth goal, giving too much space on the corner of the penalty area, to choose his place and put the ball, with the help of a heavy swerve, into the bottom corner.
Mahrez then sent Foden to the entry point but Leeds got a rare reprieve on a bleak night for Yorkshire, when the attempt was called off for offside.
Looking to his best, De Bruyne delivered the most certain moment in the game, blasting off in an incredible, unstoppable drive from over 20 metres.
It was hard to imagine how Leeds managed to snatch four points from City last season as John Stones netted in sixth after a superb double save from Meslier and then substitute Nathan Ake’s header at Foden’s corner to make it 7-0.
The loss was the biggest joint defeat for 16th-placed Leeds since they joined the Football League in 1920.
They lost 8-1 to Stoke in 1934, 7-0 to West Ham in 1966, and 7-0 to Arsenal in 1979.
“There is nothing positive to take away from our performance,” Bielsa said.
“I can’t find anything that can be appreciated. When nothing is done well, it is not the people who fail, but the delivery and organization. There is absolutely no excuse I can give.
He said, “Everything that happened was what we wanted to avoid. Since there was nothing to take away from him, it was inevitable that I would take responsibility for a defeat of this kind. We’ve never done a performance like today’s.”
City has 41 points with Liverpool and Chelsea, who play on Thursday, with 37 and 36 points, respectively.
De Bruyne, whose return to fitness has been hampered by COVID-19, said the win was a “booster” for the team.
“I think we played incredibly, especially against the way they pressed. We found the right times to attack them. When we were 3-0 or 4-0, it became difficult for them and they tried to keep their tightness in the second half, but we had many chances to score more. .
“It’s good for everyone, a lot of people who may not have played much, played today and got involved,” he said.