Kevin De Bruyne scores twice on first Premier League start since November 6 as Man City inflict joint-heaviest top-flight defeat on Leeds United; Champions move four points clear at top of the table after 7-0 triumph; Marcelo Bielsa labels defeat at Etihad Stadium his worst as Leeds boss
Wednesday 15 December 2021 13:41, UK
Pep Guardiola hailed the return to form of Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian's double in Manchester City's 7-0 thrashing of Leeds.
City's star playmaker had a slow start to the campaign after a summer of injury problems and then a spell out with coronavirus.
He looked back to his best on Tuesday night as the champions swept Leeds aside with embarrassing ease at the Etihad Stadium to chalk up their seventh successive Premier League victory in style.
De Bruyne netted City's third of the night before half-time and then made it 5-0 with a thunderbolt of a strike just after the hour.
City manager Guardiola said: "Kevin trained well the last two days. Against Wolves, he lacked rhythm, but it is not easy to come back [after Covid-19].
"In these types of games, that are a bit more open and they put a lot of players in front, Kevin is the best.
"We are really pleased he is coming back because we need him. He struggled at the start of the season but hopefully now he can maintain this rhythm longer."
City tore into Leeds from the outset and opened the scoring through Phil Foden after just eight minutes. That was the club's 500th Premier League goal under Guardiola in just the Spaniard's 207th game in charge, a new record for the competition.
Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, John Stones and Nathan Ake also got on the scoresheet in a dominant display that thrilled the home fans.
Guardiola said: "We did a really good game. We dropped five points against Leeds last season, and it was the same guys today, apart from Jack.
"It was a good game, but the stadium was phenomenal. It was sold out and the players felt it. Thank you so much."
Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson:
"Manchester City sent a massive message. Right from the first whistle they got after Leeds; they pressed from the front, won the ball back. They didn't have an out-and-out centre-forward, the forwards all rotated and played in different positions and passed and moved the ball.
"Even in the final minute they still had the hunger and desire to go and get the eighth. They were ruthless; any chance they got to punish Leeds they took. It sent a message out to all the other teams who are chasing them. Manchester City have shown what they are capable of doing tonight."
Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa pulled no punches as he bemoaned his side's worst display since he took charge of the club in 2018.
The Argentinian said: "This is the worst performance in the four years. At no moment were we able to balance the game. The sensation we gave off was that anything they attempted we couldn't prevent.
"It's not that City played very well - it's a lot more noticeable how badly we played than how well City played. City play like this all the time, or similar to it, but we have never played so badly in these four years.
"It was not good enough. There is nothing positive to take away from our performance. I can't find anything that can be of value.
"There is no justification I can offer, the game was exactly how we thought it was going to be. We prepared ourselves to avoid everything that happened and we didn't manage to get anything."
