Leeds United’s remarkable start to the campaign continues as they hold Premier League contenders Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. The Whites were completely outclassed during the first quarter of the game, trailing via Raheem Sterling’s excellent goal. However, they fought back well, restoring parity through Rodrigo and keeping the Man City attack at bay in the second half.
Leeds United Player Ratings Vs Manchester City
Illan Meslier 6.5/10
Surprisingly had to do very little as most of Manchester City’s attempts went out wide. He was rattled by Kevin de Bruyne’s early free-kick but did well to save one of Sterling’s efforts and Patrick Bamford’s shocking header towards goal late in the game.
Luke Ayling 7/10
It was a mixed game for Luke Ayling, whose aggression allowed him to latch onto Benjamin Mendy’s mistake. However, the Englishman should have done taken the opportunity to score, especially at this level. Aside from that, Ayling had a few difficulties dealing with Sterling early on but improved as the game progressed.
Robin Koch 7.5/10
It would be fairly easy to criticise Robin Koch, but it was his remarkable defensive commitment that saw him make a couple of crucial blocks. The German defended admirably throughout the game, especially in the second half.
Liam Cooper 6.5/10
Liam Cooper deserves some stick for his lack of ball-playing credentials as he lost the ball carelessly during the early stages of the game. He was Leeds United’s best defender in the latter stages of the game, though.
Stuart Dallas 7.5/10
Stuart Dallas had quite an eventful evening as Manchester City attacked down his flank due to his lack of defensive prowess. The left-back responded well, making one crucial block to deny Ferran Torres. But, it was his offensive output and a sharp eye for that forward pass that caused problems for the Manchester City defence.
Kalvin Phillips 7.5/10
Most of Leeds United’s plays from the back came through Kalvin Phillips and the Englishman, without a doubt, was one of the most vital players in this fixture. He was careless, at times, but showed tremendous passing skills to create some opportunities while his tackling was also excellent.
Helder Costa 6.5/10
Helder Costa had a relatively quiet first half, but the ex-Wolves star responded well after the restart. He covered a lot of ground, proving himself to be an excellent source of creativity with his sharp eye for the forward pass, though it didn’t make much of a difference as he eventually got tired. Should have been a bit more productive.
Mateusz Klich 6.5/10
Mateusz Klich did what he does best – attack the opposition and win the ball for his team. That said, it was perhaps a less eventful evening for the Pole, who made way for Leif Davis late in the game.
Tyler Roberts 6/10
Tyler Roberts was a passenger for the most part of the game. He tried to make something happen but just wasn’t involved enough in the proceedings. The Welshman clearly isn’t a good fit in the number ten, especially given the intensity of the Premier League.
Ezgjan Alioski 6.5/10
Ezgjan Alioski had an eventful first-half, notably putting his header wide for an excellent early opportunity for Leeds United. The Macedonian worked hard for his team, as usual, but much like Costa, he should have hoped to be a bit more productivity. He was hooked off at half-time.
Patrick Bamford 7.5/10
Patrick Bamford failed to continue his scoring form. But, the ex-Chelsea starlet deserves a lot of credit for his remarkable work-ethic and technical brilliance as his clever touches allowed Leeds United to skip through the Man City defence at times. Should have scored from an easy chance late in the game, although it would have been ruled offside.
SUBSTITUTES
Ian Poveda 7.5/10
Provided a lot of attacking spark after the restart with his quick-feet and willingness to take on the opposition defender. He made life even more difficult for Mendy, though unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to help Leeds United seal a famous victory.
Rodrigo 8.5/10
Came on for Roberts just before the hour mark and made an immediate impact. The Spaniard showed a certain hunger to impress, and it was reflected in his predatory strike to level the scoring in the 59th minute. Aside from that, Rodrigo was also the craftsman of a couple of great chances for the Whites during the late stages of the game.
Leif Davis 6/10
Made his Premier League debut by replacing Klich during the final stage of the game. The youngster provided some freshness to the table.
