Manchester City kept the pressure on 2025-26 Premier League leaders Arsenal with a nail-biting 1-0 win over Leeds United on Saturday, moving within two points of top spot thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s goal just before half-time.
City, who were without top scorer Erling Haaland, had to play at Elland Road, but the victory brought Pep Guardiola’s side to 59 points. Arsenal, who have also played 28 games, host Chelsea on Sunday as the title race tightens.
Leeds had the better chances in the first half, including a couple of near misses from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, before Semenyo scored his sixth goal for City in first-half stoppage time.
Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent through on the left side of the penalty area and Semenyo slid to touch his square ball from close range.
“It means everything,” Semenyo said Air sports to reduce the gap to two points.
«I think we just want to win all our games, and whatever Arsenal do, we just have to wait and see. We just have to control what we can control, win our games, and yes, we will see what happens. But we are all happy,» he added.
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Second-placed City’s victory was their fifth in six league games. Haaland missed the match with what Guardiola called a “little injury” in training this week. Rayan Cherki started in his place.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke approached the referee’s line after the final whistle and was quickly shown a red card.
Buoyed by recent draws against Chelsea and Aston Villa, Leeds were ahead from the start, and Calvert-Lewin missed a golden opportunity when he inexplicably shot wide and another shot trickled past the far post from a tight angle.
City came into the game and began to dominate possession before Semenyo’s goal rfv4.
Leeds started the second half with the same energy as the first, and Calvert-Lewin latched onto an Anton Stach ball for Matheus Nunes to rush in and clear it.
Marc Guehi almost doubled City’s lead late in the match but his header was cleared by Welsh goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
Leeds continued to press and Jaka Bijol headed a corner just wide in the dying minutes as Farke held his head in disbelief. His team is in 15th place with 31 points from 28 games, six points above the relegation zone.
Published on March 1, 2026
