MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester City crushed Leeds United 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (Dec 14) to make it seven Premier League wins a row and move four points clear at the top of the table.
City lost this fixture last season and also drew away to Leeds and manager Pep Guardiola, a big fan of his opposite number Marcelo Bielsa, said those results should be remembered as context.
“We lost five points to them last season. Everyone knows what it is (like) to play Leeds,” he said. “When you get these results it’s because individually they (the players) are brilliant. We are proud of the way we’re playing.”
Bielsa’s Leeds were simply brushed aside by a City side who were at their very best after they took an eighth-minute lead through Phil Foden.
Foden slotted home, after Leeds 'keeper Illan Meslier had come out to stop an effort from Rodri, for the 500th Premier League goal scored by the club in 207 games under Pep Guardiola – the fastest any team has reached that landmark.
The Spaniard’s counterpart, Leeds’ Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa, could do nothing to halt a rampant City and his team’s wide-open approach certainly did little to help.
Five minutes later the lead was doubled when Jack Grealish met an inswinging cross from Riyad Mahrez with a firm header which flashed past Leeds keeper Illan Meslier.
Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0, showing pace and a clinical finish, as he latched on to a fine through ball from the impressive Rodri.
Shortly after the restart Mahrez added the fourth, given far too much space on the corner of the box, to pick his spot and place the ball, with the aid of a heavy deflection, in the bottom corner.
De Bruyne blasted in a spectacular, unstoppable drive from over 20 metres out, the Belgian, looking back to his very best, thundering the ball centrally.
John Stones slotted home the sixth after a fine double save from Meslier and then substitute Nathan Ake headed in a Foden corner to make it 7-0.
The loss was 16th-placed Leeds’ joint biggest defeat since joining 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.
City have 41 points with Liverpool and Chelsea, who both play on Thursday, on 37 and 36 points respectively.
