The Citizens put seven past Leeds United to strengthen their hold at the top of the Premier League table while also handing the latter their biggest-ever league defeat. Kevin De Bruyne scored a brace in a routine win for the Citizens.
Phil Foden opened the scoring in the eighth minute, just moments after Bernardo Silva had missed an open goal. Foden was first to react to a loose ball following a save from Illan Meslier, and the Englishman somehow squeezed his shot into the corner despite three bodies in his way.
Five minutes later, an unmarked Jack Grealish headed in a cross from Riyad Mahrez to put the Citizens up by two. De Bruyne added a third in the 32nd minute; the Belgian latched onto a through ball by Rodri before beating Meslier with a fierce strike from the left side of the box.
Cruising towards the three points, City added a fourth through Mahrez just minutes after the restart – the Algerian’s shot taking a deflection off of Junior Firpo, wrong-footing Meslier, and nestling into the corner. Leeds then enjoyed a sustained spell of possession and nearly pulled a goal back in consolation through Stuart Dallas, whose shot clipped the post on its way behind.
Former City player Jack Harrison tested his luck from inside the box with his weaker right foot, but his shot took a deflection off a City defender before bouncing away to safety.
City’s fifth – and De Bruyne’s second – arrived in the 62nd minute just as Leeds had begun to grow into the game – and it was the pick of the bunch. The Belgian scored with a thunderous strike from outside the box which smashed into the roof of the net amid loud cheers from the crowd.
Following that, John Stones and Nathan Ake added the sixth and the seventh within two minutes of each other; first, Stones smashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range, and later, Ake flicked a Foden corner past Meslier to seal a comprehensive win for the reigning champions.
