10-MAN LEEDS SHOCK CITY
Runaway leaders stumble and fall thanks to Dallas's double
MANCHESTER City suffered just a fourth Premier League defeat of the season as 10-man Leeds United shocked the runaway leaders thanks to Stuart Dallas's double in a 2-1 win at the Etihad yesterday,
Dallas opened the scoring three minutes before half-time, but hope of a famous win for Marcelo Bielsa's men seemed to have disappeared when captain Liam Cooper was shown a straight red card in first-half stoppage time.
The visitors withstood a City bombardment until Ferran Torres equalised 14 minutes from time.
But Leeds still summoned the energy to pose a threat on the counter-attack and gained their reward when Dallas slotted below Ederson.
Bielsa’s first win in five meetings against Pep Guardiola propels Leeds to ninth in their first season back in the English top flight for 16 years.
Guardiola paid for heavily rotating his side with Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final, second leg, against Borussia Dortmund clearly his priority.
City still enjoy a 14-point lead at the top of the Premier League and need just 11 points from their remaining six matches to guarantee a third title in four years.
But Manchester United could close the gap to eight points should the Red Devils win their two games in hand, the first of which is away to Tottenham tomorrow.
A two-minute silence was held before kick-off in honour of Prince Philip, who died aged 99 on Friday.
Once the action got underway, City noticeably missed Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Ruben Dias, who were among the stars left on the bench by Guardiola.
City were camped inside the Leeds half for almost the entire second-half, but were largely reduced to long-range efforts as Illan Meslier saved from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fernandinho and Joao Cancelo.
Torres finally made City's dominance pay with a first-time finish after Fernandinho picked out Silva inside the area.
Yet, Leeds still went in search of a winner.
Raphinha outpaced Fernandinho, but was denied by a brilliant tackle by Brazilian compatriot Ederson.
Leeds' approach was rewarded in stoppage time when Dallas galloped clear down the middle of a vacant City defence to slot home.