Semenyo's strike beats Leeds while Man City narrows gap to Arsenal

Antoine Semenyo propelled Manchester City to a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Leeds on Saturday, enabling the Premier League title contenders to reduce the lead over frontrunners Arsenal despite missing Erling Haaland.

Semenyo scored in the closing stages of the opening period at Elland Road, marking his sixth goal since joining from Bournemouth back in January.

The Ghanaian attacker's effort brought second-positioned City to just two points behind Arsenal, who face London opponents Chelsea on Sunday.

City's fourth consecutive league triumph came without Haaland, the high-scoring forward sidelined by an injury picked up during Thursday's training session.

"A minor injury. Nothing serious but he's not fit for this match," City manager Pep Guardiola commented right before the start.

City anticipate Haaland's return ahead of their midweek encounter with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Interestingly, City boast a superior win percentage in the elite division without the Norwegian forward compared to games featuring him.

Though not performing at peak levels, City's determined effort in a challenging away setting ensured they retain control over the title outcome.

Pursuing Guardiola's seventh championship at the club, City can secure the trophy by winning their remaining ten fixtures, irrespective of Arsenal's outcomes in the equivalent span.

Following this round, City will hold a fixture advantage over Arsenal and welcome the Londoners to the Etihad in April.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin squandered a prime chance to give Leeds the lead early on, mishitting Brenden Aaronson's delivery with only Gianluigi Donnarumma to overcome.

The match halted momentarily to let Muslim athletes from both squads, such as City's Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri, end their Ramadan fast as evening fell.

Even with an on-screen explanation of the pause, supporters booed as the players approached the sidelines.

City holds firm

Post-break, Calvert-Lewin threatened once more, spinning past City back Marc Guehi prior to firing just past the upright.

Rattled by Leeds' persistent pressure, City found it tough to establish a flow during the initial half.

James Justin's powerful effort drew a solid stop from Donnarumma, while Aaronson nudged narrowly astray from Jayden Bogle's delivery.

Guardiola displayed mounting irritation from the bench as City managed zero efforts on goal in the first 39 minutes.

Donnarumma proved vital for City again, blocking Aaronson's attempt after the Leeds playmaker broke free.

City at last sparked into action with Marmoush's grounded shot grasped by Karl Darlow, who then deflected Nico O'Reilly's nearby header.

Leeds overlooked the alert, allowing City to take the lead via a cleverly constructed move in added time before the interval.

Cherki's accurate delivery found Ait-Nouri surging into the Leeds box, and the full-back's grounded pass set up Semenyo for a simple tap-in.

Boosted by Semenyo's goal, City appeared steadier and ought to have extended their advantage following the restart.

Marmoush, mere yards from goal, lunged unsuccessfully to redirect Ruben Dias' wayward effort.

Guehi's nod from Cherki's set-piece was pushed clear by Darlow.

City endured a nail-biting conclusion, with Jaka Bijol directing a corner header just wide, before securing their win.