Manchester City powered four points clear at the top of the English Premier League as Kevin de Bruyne inspired a 7-0 rout of Leeds just hours after clubs were given strict new measures to curb the COVID-19 threat on Tuesday.
De Bruyne delivered an imperious display, including two goals on his first league start since Nov. 6 after the Belgian star recovered from a bout of COVID-19.
Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, John Stones and Nathan Ake were also on target as manager Pep Guardiola’s side ran riot at the Etihad Stadium.
Photo: EPA-EFE
City’s seventh successive league victory put pressure on second-placed Liverpool and third-placed Chelsea, who face Newcastle and Everton respectively today.
The champions’ biggest win this season equaled Liverpool’s 1982 top-flight record of 33 victories in a calendar year.
“We’re proud of the way we’re playing. When you get these results it is because individually they are brilliant,” Guardiola said. “Kevin, in these type of games when it is open up and down, is devastating as he can do what he wants. He’s so important for us.”
It was the joint biggest league defeat in Leeds’ history and a shell-shocked manager Marcelo Bielsa said: “We’ve never had a performance like this. There is no justification. I have to take responsibility.”
City took the lead in the eighth minute when Foden’s shot was deflected in via Stuart Dallas’ miscued attempt to clear off the line.
It was City’s 500th Premier League goal in 207 matches under Guardiola, setting a new record that surpassed the previous fastest mark by Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Grealish had managed just two goals for City since his transfer from Aston Villa. In the 13th minute, the 26-year-old headed in Mahrez’s cross to score for the first time since September.
De Bruyne marked his return with his first goal since October, converting Rodri’s defense-splitting pass in the 32nd minute.
Mahrez added City’s fourth in the 49th minute when his strike deflected in off Junior Firpo, then De Bruyne made it five in the 62nd minute with a thunderous drive into the roof of the net.
Stones blasted home in the 74th minute and Ake headed City’s seventh four minutes later.
Whether City’s determined title defense survives without a brush with COVID-19 remains to be seen as the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 wreaks havoc.
The Premier League announced on Monday there had been 42 positive COVID-19 cases among top-flight players and staff last week — the most recorded in any seven-day period since testing began during the 2019-2020 season.
Manchester United’s match at Brentford on Tuesday and Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Brighton on Sunday were postponed due to virus outbreaks. United and Tottenham had several unnamed players test positive, while Brighton & Hove Albion, Leicester City, Norwich City and Aston Villa were also hit by the virus over the past week.
Now all top-flight players and staff are required to take a lateral flow test every time they enter their club’s training ground.
Twice-weekly polymerase chain reaction testing would also be introduced after a meeting of the 20 clubs on Tuesday.
Norwich manager Dean Smith said that his club had asked the Premier League for guidance over his bottom-of-the-table team’s COVID-19 issues prior to Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
“It’s been a tough few days. We’ve had a few COVID-related drop outs,” Smith said before kickoff at Carrow Road.
Villa were also hit by the virus but they kept their focus to make it four wins from six games under new manager Steven Gerrard.
Smith had hoped for revenge on Villa just 38 days after his sacking, but Jacob Ramsey ran from the halfway line to fire home in the 35th minute and Ollie Watkins tapped in after 87 minutes.
“It’s been a challenging week,” Gerrard said. “We have to make sure we’re very diligent with the guidelines. Nobody wants to see the situation deteriorate.”
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