Saturday night ended in disappointment for Leeds United fans as they lost to Manchester City at Elland Road. The result was heartbreaking, as most fans would say that the team could have won the game.
The match could have easily been decided in the first half, but the Whites spurned their chances. Then just before half time, Antoine Semenyo broke the deadlock. The visitors held on to the goal for most of the second period, opting to sit back and protect the lead. City eventually took all three points in a game that was filled with drama in the final moments.
Gary Neville makes incredible Pep Guardiola claim
The game was a nervy one for the visitors, and everyone in the stadium sensed it. Manchester City never looked in control of the match till the later stages. Gary Neville actually made a keen observation about Guardiola after the game.
“That was an awkward one for City,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“There’s a clip of Pep Guardiola at the end of the game, where he’s got that little grin on his face. A little kiss to the fans, and he goes like that [fist pump].
“You don’t see too much emotion, but we have in the last couple of weeks. We’ve seen emotion from Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola, where they know what’s happening here.
“They know they’re applying pressure to a team that haven’t got a great deal of experience in this race.”
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Leeds United pushed Manchester City to their limit
The Whites may have lost to Pep Guardiola’s men, but Manchester City did not have it easy. The first half start was overwhelming for the visitors, and on a good day, Leeds could have had one or two goals. Calvert-Lewin missed a glorious chance, and Brenden Aaronson spurned a great opportunity in the first half hour. The Whites were unlucky to have been undone by a goal against the run of play.
But for most of the 90 minutes, City were on the back foot. You could sense the frustration from Guardiola at multiple points in the game. Leeds really stretched City, and forced them to change their approach in the second half – keeping the ball and wasting time. Fans will not be pleased with the result, but the way the team played at Elland Road was very encouraging.
