Man City slips further after Leeds draw

Such an exhilarating game of end-to-end attacking football left Guardiola's mind still a whirl of thoughts

London: When the final whistle blew at a rain-swept Elland Road, with the managers soaked from head to toe, Marcelo Bielsa went over to Pep Guardiola and placed both hands on his shoulders. The mentor wanted an instant assessment from his coaching disciple.

Such an exhilarating game of end-to-end attacking football left Guardiola’s mind still a whirl of thoughts.

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What to make of seeing his Manchester City side held 1-1 by Bielsa’s Leeds on Saturday? It left Leeds in fifth place in the Premier League and City in 11th. “Maybe he is much cleverer than me,” Guardiola said, recounting the touchline exchange. “I need time to process.”

It won’t be hard to figure out how City — the 2018 and 2019 Premier League champions — conceded the equalizer in the 59th minute to a team playing only its fourth top division game after 16-year exile. City goalkeeper Ederson’s weak punch from Kalvin Phillips’ corner allowed striker Rodrigo to pounce on the loose ball and score his first goal since joining Leeds for a club-record fee.

Now Guardiola’s mission is reclaiming the Premier League trophy from Liverpool, but City is already eight points behind Everton, which is the early leader after beating Brighton 4-2 to make it four wins out of four. At least 15 players in the City squad — including Ederson — cost Guardiola’s side more than the 27 million pounds (about USD 35 million) Leeds paid for Rodrigo in the offseason.

While Leeds had seven shots on target, Raheem Sterling’s 16th-minute strike low shot inside the far post was one of only two for City.

Leeds is five points behind Everton as is Chelsea, which swept to a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace, and Newcastle, which beat Burnley 3-1. On the weekend when spectators were originally due to start being allowed back into Premier League games — as they already are in Germany — the doors remain shut on government orders due to a spike in infections.

Everton is enjoying its best start to a season since the 19th century after a seventh straight win in all competitions. Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed Everton in front in the 16th minute with his ninth goal of the season, but an error by Jordan Pickford allowed Neal Maupay to level for Brighton to equalize after the goalkeeper couldn’t hold onto Leandro Trossard’s volley.

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