Manchester City'S Record

Jamie Jackson was at the Etihad to witness that rout.

His report has landed, so off you click. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Pep’s turn. “Congratulations to the team, it was a good performance for us. The vibe at the stadium was nice, it was sold out, and we started with a good rhythm. We were patient with the ball, and the quality of the players did the rest. We lost five points to Leeds last season, so we tried to prepare against a serious team. We saw the game against Chelsea, they deserved a point, so maybe they were tired tonight. Now we rest and prepare for Newcastle next Sunday.”

Marcelo Bielsa, understandably downbeat, talks to BT. “There is nothing positive to take away from our performance. I can’t find anything that can be valued. It’s not the individuals that fail, but the organisation. 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. But we didn’t manage to do anything so their superiority wouldn’t be so noticeable.”

Kevin De Bruyne, a study in quiet contentment, speaks to BT. “There has been a lot happening this year, a little out of my control. The only thing I can do is work hard and come back as quickly as possible. We played incredibly well, especially considering the way they press. We found the right time to attack them, and when it gets three or four it gets harder for them. It’s good for everyone, a lot of people who don’t always play chipped in, so it’s a boost. We were very patient and found the gaps at the right time to go forward. We have to maintain the good level and try to win game by game. It’s a hell of a competition, and it will be a hell of a race. We will try to be there.”

Leeds didn’t do themselves any favours there, leaving way too much space for Manchester City to work with. But the reigning champions were really in the mood tonight, and would almost certainly have eviscerated whoever they faced. All of a sudden, having won seven matches in a row, they’re four points clear at the top. Liverpool and Chelsea have big games against Newcastle and Everton coming up on Thursday.

Meanwhile Leeds continue to look over their shoulder at the bottom. Sometimes a big defeat can clear out the pipes; sometimes it can seriously batter confidence. They’ll hope it’s the former, because they’ve got Arsenal, Liverpool and in-form Aston Villa in their next three games.

Leeds are happy to hear the final whistle. They might not be so happy to hear the Inspiral Carpets blast out of the PA. “This is how it feels to be small … this is how it feels when your world means nothing at all.” It’s their biggest defeat of the Premier League era.

90 min +2: The loudest rendition of Marching On Together of the evening. There are few sweeter sounds in football than defiant fans giving their all at the end of a thrashing. Hats off.

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90 min +1: Mahrez glides down the inside-right channel and lifts a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

90 min: Gundogan drags a low shot across the face goal from 12 yards. Meslier smothers. On BT Sport, Lucy Ward names Kevin De Bruyne as the man of the match.

89 min: Klich has a frustrated whack from distance. Nope. The City fans can’t be bothered to jeer. The Leeds supporters keep going, though; they’ve kept their end up tonight.

88 min: A free kick for City, 25 yards out, just to the left of centre. De Bruyne’s eyes light up. He wants a hat-trick, but can only send a weak effort into Meslier’s midriff. “Man City are just lucky Patrick Bamford wasn’t playing,” writes Steve Buist. “Or it might have been 7-1.”

86 min: Harrison nips in from the right and sends a speculative effort towards the bottom right. Easy pickings for Ederson. “Just chuckling at just HOW wide of the mark Phil Haran’s half-time prediction for the second half was,” writes Dylan Kenny, because somebody had to. “It happens to the best of us, I suppose.”

84 min: Foden spins into space and hoicks a long-distance attempt over the bar. The remaining Leeds fans, to their eternal credit, continue to make their presence felt.

82 min: A corner for Leeds, Harrison crossing low for Roberts, Ake hacking behind. Nothing comes of it.

80 min: As things stand, this will equal Leeds’ record league defeat. They went down 8-1 at Stoke in the First Division in August 1934. They didn’t go down that season, so at least there’s that omen.

Foden hits the corner long. Ake rises unchallenged, eight yards out, and plants a header across Meslier and into the bottom left. That was way too easy.

Illan Meslier of Leeds United fails to save a header from Nathan Ake of Manchester City. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Updated at 4.58pm EST

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4.37pm EST 16:37

77 min: Gundogan jinks adroitly down the middle of the park and nearly tricks his way into the box. The ball clanks off a Leeds leg and out for a corner on the left, from which …

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76 min: The Leeds body language isn’t great now. A lot of hanging heads. On the touchline, Marcelo Bielsa tries to gee his men up, but it’s a tough ask.

Fernandinho crosses from the right. Llorente heads goalwards. Meslier parries. The ball drops to Stones, just to the right of goal. Stones smashes it goalwards. Meslier heroically springs up to parry, but the ball only drops to Stones again, who lashes high into the net. This is turning ugly for Leeds now.