PL: City Extend Their League At Top

Manchester City issued a reminder of their title credentials as the defending champions demolished Leeds United 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to continue their winning run with a seventh successive win and move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

City scored two goals inside 13 minutes after Phil Foden’s opener – the 500th Premier League goal of Pep Guardiola’s City reign – found the net after Stuart Dallas’ woeful goal-line clearance attempt, before Jack Grealish added a quickfire second to end his goalless drought.

Making his first Premier League start since November 6 Kevin De Bruyne scored a beauty from outside the box to kill the game before half-time. Leeds’ depleted defensive line and questionable tactics were in question as City made matters even Worse as Riyad Mahrez’s deflected fourth and a stunning thunderbolt from De Bruyne made it five before late goals from defenders John Stones and Nathan Ake put the seal on a statement victory which shifts the pressure onto City’s title rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, who both play on Thursday.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola: “We lost five points last season playing Leeds. We tried to prepare well and maybe the players felt it was a more serious team than people think about.

“Our goals conceded is amazing. It proves you don’t have to defend so deep, but this club is creative and the club buys players to be creative.

“We didn’t score as many goals this season but today was a good run to be close to Liverpool and Chelsea.”

Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa: “There is nothing positive to take away from our performance. I can’t find anything that can be valued. As is natural in these cases, it is not the individuals that fail but the organisation.

“There is no justification I can offer; the game was exactly how we thought it was going to be. We prepared ourselves to avoid everything that happened, and we didn’t manage to get anything.”