Ilkay Gundogan's first-half double condemned Sam Allardyce to defeat in his first game in charge of Leeds as Manchester City held on to a 2-1 win to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League
Gundogan struck twice inside 27 minutes at the Etihad Stadium to all-but extinguish any chance of Leeds enjoying a new-manager bounce under Allardyce, as the champions piled the pressure on title rivals Arsenal ahead of their Super Sunday trip to Newcastle
City were cruising to a comfortable victory until hat-trick hunting Gundogan took a penalty - ahead of record-breaking marksman Erling Haaland - and hit the post, and Leeds pulled a goal back through Rodrigo 58 seconds later
City would see out a 10th successive Premier League victory, but the late drama left Pep Guardiola incensed and conjured belief that Allardyce may just be able to steer Leeds - who remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference - to safety before the season is up
Allardyce took the bold decision to drop out-of-form goalkeeper Illan Meslier from a Premier League game for the first time this season, but his replacement Joel Robles came under constant fire throughout an imperious first-half attacking display from City
After Julian Alvarez had blazed a gilt-edged chance over and Robles denied Haaland a 36th league goal of the season, City finally made their dominance count, with Gundogan effortlessly stroking the ball in at the near post from Riyad Mahrez's cutback
Haaland's off-colour day in front of goal began when he fired a glorious chance wide after Kevin De Bruyne's superb lay-off, but City's second, a near carbon copy of their first, would soon follow
The mercurial Mahrez cut inside and laid the ball inside for Gundogan, who controlled the ball before passing in his and City's second into the opposite corner of the Leeds net - his sixth goal of the season
Leeds nearly hit back immediately but Weston McKennie's header from a corner was palmed away by the City goalkeeper just shy of the half-hour mark, before Haaland uncharacteristically lost his footing and shanked a chance to extend the hosts' lead to three wide
Haaland's travails continued after the break as he sent a close-range header crashing against the woodwork within seconds of the restart before the Norwegian clipped the outside of the post with a shot on the swivel just after the hour mark
Haaland would defy his manager Guardiola's wishes by handing Gundogan the chance to complete a first career hat-trick from the penalty spot after Phil Foden was fouled by Pascal Struijk in the area
Gundogan fired the penalty onto the post and the miss would go on to be compounded less than a minute later when substitute Rodrigo fired a shot in at the near post to spark an unlikely Leeds comeback, but City managed the closing stages to secure a deserved victory
"We play an exceptional game
 We could have been more clinical more clinical up front but we've played three games in six days
 After the Arsenal game, with a lot of tension emotionally and everything, the guys play some outstanding football in the first half
"We had a chance with the penalty and we miss it, then it's 2-1 - in the Premier League with one goal in it it's never over
 Always I had the feeling, when the game is 2-0, the main taker has to take the penalty
 But that's how Erling is as a person
 The top goalscorer, who has goals and goals, he gives it to his mate to make a hat-trick
 I understand
"Making a hat-trick is nice
 Ilkay is a good penalty taker - he scores a goal and everything will be happy
 We didn't drop points
 It's a good lesson for the future
" "We take some hope out of today on the second-half performance
 Not the first, but the second
 We now need to build on that and try to get a result
"I was slightly fearful, but we sorted it out for the second half and told them they were playing with too much fear
 They needed to get on the front foot and try to challenge them
"When you see Man City running down the clock for four minutes at the end, you know you have given yourself a chance
 We did right until the end, but it didn't quite happen
"Man City turn their attention to the Champions League for Tuesday's semi-final first leg away trip at Real Madrid, before resuming their Premier League title challenge at Everton on Saturday at 3pm
Leeds have three games to preserve their Premier League status
 They host Newcastle on Saturday May 13 at 3pm before heading to West Ham and then returning to Elland Road on the final day against Tottenham
May 9:  (A) - Champions LeagueMay 13:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 17: (H) - Champions LeagueMay 21:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4pmMay 24: (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on May 28:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4
30pmJune 3:  (N) - FA Cup final, kick-off 3pmMay 13: (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 21:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 1
30pmMay 28:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4
30pm
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