Yahoo Movies Manchester City 1-2 Leeds: Stuart Dallas double sees ten men stun champions-elect
Stuart Dallas’ injury-time winner saw Leeds United stun Manchester City, winning 2-1 at the Etihad despite playing half of the game with ten men.
Dallas had also opened the scoring in the first-half but the visitors had Liam Cooper sent off for a high-tackle on Gabriel Jesus before the interval and looked up against it to hold out when Ferran Torres levelled with a quarter-of-an-hour to play.
However, Dallas coolly steered home on the counter as City pressed for a winner to give Marcelo Bielsa’s side a famous victory.
The result left City, who had dominated most of the game, still needing 11 points to secure their third title in the space of four seasons.
City, having made seven changes following their midweek Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, were slow out of the blocks.
Leeds played some neat football and did get behind the hosts’ defence on a couple of occasions early on but failed to capitalise. Their best opening saw Tyler Roberts break into the box on the right but his ball across goal was too far behind Patrick Bamford.
City gradually began to increase the tempo and Ferran Torres had a good effort brilliantly blocked by Cooper at point-blank range following a corner. Jesus’ follow-up attempt was also blocked.
Raheem Sterling came more into the game but was denied a penalty after the ball jumped up and caught Luke Ayling on the arm following a jinking run.
Sterling then blasted over before spurning an even better opportunity, dragging a first-time shot horribly wide, after being teed up by a charging Fernandinho.
City were made to pay for that miss as Helder Costa broke down the left and passed inside to Bamford. Dallas then latched onto an inviting lay-off on the edge of the area, hitting a firm low shot that left Ederson rooted to the spot as it rebounded in off the base of the post.
It was a lead that came against the run of play and Leeds’ hopes of hanging onto it almost immediately suffered a blow as Cooper was dismissed for a bad challenge on Jesus.
Referee Andre Marriner initially showed a yellow card after Cooper caught the Brazilian on the knee in his follow-through but revised that to red after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
City chased the equaliser in the second half with Oleksandr Zinchenko forcing a good save from Illan Meslier and Bernardo Silva volleying wide from close range. Ilkay Gundogan fired over and Fernandinho had a powerful effort palmed over by Meslier, who also saved from Joao Cancelo.
The equaliser finally came 15 minutes from time as Silva flicked the ball into the path of Torres and the Spaniard clipped it past Meslier.
City continued to press but Leeds surprisingly had the final say as Dallas broke clear and slid a fine finish through the legs of Ederson. It was Leeds’ first victory against one of the established ‘big six’ since their promotion.
Additional reporting by PA.
Read More
Sergio Aguero tempted by Chelsea FC move as Man City striker targets Premier League records
