Leeds 1-1 Manchester City: Player Ratings as Rodrigo Pegs Back Citizens
By Max Cooper
Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by newly-promoted Leeds United on Saturday evening, as the two sides put on a sensational show of attacking football at Elland Road.
Pep Guardiola's side started brightly, and they took the lead on 17 minutes when an error in the Leeds backline presented Raheem Sterling with the ball, and the Englishman cut inside and buried his shot into the corner.
Man City dominated the first half, but occasional lapses in concentration at the back allowed the Whites the chance to get back into the game, but goalkeeper Ederson was up to the task.
Leeds came out fighting in the second half, and they were gifted a way back into the game, when Ederson flapped at a corner kick, and substitute Rodrigo was on hand to rifle home his first goal for the club.
Both teams had chances to win the game, but Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa were forced to share the spoils. Let's have a look at the player ratings following a dramatic evening at Elland Road.
LEEDS UNITED
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Illan Meslier (GK) - 7/10 - Poor kick led to the opening goal - had little chance in stopping the strike. Bounced back to produce a resolute performance.
Luke Ayling (RB) - 7/10 - A decent display from the full-back. Left exposed against Sterling for the first-half strike, but did the remainder of his duties with typical grit.
Robin Koch (CB) - 8/10 - Did very little wrong on a tough evening at Elland Road. Dealt with Man City's fluid movement excellently and repelled and blocked just about everything.
Liam Cooper (CB) - 7/10 - Gifted the ball to the Man City attack for the first goal. Recovered to command the defence well and keep the visitors at bay throughout the match. A proper leader.
Stuart Dallas (LB) - 7/10 - Didn't give Torres much joy on Leeds' left flank, and provided a willing outlet when handed the opportunity. A real hard-worker.
2. Midfielders
Kalvin Phillips (CDM) - 7/10 - Always going to be a tough 90 minutes for Phillips, who was offered precious little time on the ball by his opponents. Grew into the game in the second half and looked much, much better.
Tyler Roberts (CM) - 6/10 - Pressed and battled against the Man City midfield, without ever really imposing himself on the game. Not a regular starter, and it showed. Subbed before the hour-mark.
Mateusz Klich (CM) - 7/10 - Another commanding and relentless display by Klich. Drove Leeds forward with his usual gusto and power, while demonstrating a nice passing range, too.
3. Forwards
Helder Costa (RW) - 8/10 - Looked far more at home when moved to his favoured left-flank in the second half. Tore Walker apart and whipped in some dangerous crosses.
Patrick Bamford (ST) - 6/10 - Booked early on for a flailing elbow. Threw himself about and tried to unnerve the debuting Dias, but struggled to get into scoring positions.
Gjanni Alioski (LW) - 5/10 - Was left chasing his tail a bit in the first half, and failed to get into the game. Subbed at half-time.
4. Substitutes
Ian Poveda (RW) - 7/10
Rodrigo (ST) - 7/10 - Scored his first Premier League goal for the club, capitalising on Ederson's mistake. Looked lively and ready for another opportunity from the start.
Leif Davis (CB) - 7/10
MANCHESTER CITY
5. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Ederson (GK) - 6/10 - An excellent first half was undone by a terrible mistake in the second, flapping at a corner and allowing Leeds to equalise. Made up for it with a brilliant diving save from a Rodrigo header.
Kyle Walker (RB) - 5/10 - Leeds found plenty of joy down that flank, and Walker was left picking up the pieces. Found it tough against the pace and trickery of Costa in the second half.
Ruben Dias (CB) - 7/10 - A confident debut. Defended on the front foot, offered plenty of aggression in the tackle and could have capped it off with a goal.
Aymeric Laporte (CB) - 7/10 - The team instantly looked more composed with Laporte back in contention. Not his best display, but an obvious improvement on recent performances.
Benjamin Mendy (LB) - 5/10 - Flew up and down the left side, moving infield and launching some impressive attacks. Less impressive in defence however, and gave away some sloppy balls as the game progressed. Subbed before causing further damage.
6. Midfielders
Rodri (CM) - 7/10 - A physical and dominant display in the middle. Rodri broke up plenty of Leeds attacks and used his strength to prevent any counters. Was left hugely exposed as the game stretched in the second half.
Kevin De Bruyne (CM) - 8/10 - Ran proceedings from midfield once again. Hit the woodwork early on, and helped Man City break between the lines and hurt the Leeds backline. A top, top quality player.
Phil Foden (CM) - 6/10 - Fluffed a great chance early on, then flashed a dangerous effort just over the crossbar before half-time. Held his own throughout. Not fantastic.
7. Forwards
Ferran Torres (RW) - 6/10 - Plenty of industry and nice touches. Looked composed in possession but didn't have the beating of his man. Started well enough but faded and was substituted.
Riyad Mahrez (ST) - 6/10 - Not his usual role, but dug in and unsettled the Leeds backline. Certainly didn't look himself though, and was far from comfortable as the focal point.
Raheem Sterling (LW) - 8/10 - Opened the scoring with a wonderful individual run and strike. Continued to threaten by cutting in off the left flank and brought in his attacking teammates whenever possible. Wasted a couple of good chances when behind the defence in the second half.
8. Substitutes
Bernardo Silva (RW) - 6/10
Nathan Ake (LB) - 6/10
Fernandinho (CDM) - 6/10