Manchester City claim vital Leeds win without Erling Haaland but Pep Guardiola issue remains

Leeds 0-1 Man City 

Manchester City are keeping the heat on Arsenal in the Premier League title race, but not even Pep Guardiola can predict how long it can last while his side experience a strange goal drought in the second half of games. Their slender 1-0 win over Leeds United – thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s goal in first-half stoppage time – means they have still scored only twice after the interval and it’s nearly March. Even in their last game against Newcastle, City managed to score their two goals – both from Nico O’Reilly – in the first 45 minutes at the Etihad Stadium.

Worryingly for the title contenders, Erling Haaland was absent from the squad altogether after feeling some discomfort in the days leading up to the game, according to Guardiola. “Two days ago, in the last moments of training, Haaland had a little injury. It’s not a big issue, but he’s not ready for today,” the Catalan coach said. But despite scoring 22 goals this season, they managed to win without him at Elland Road

Remarkably, they are only two points behind Mikel Arteta’s side, who have sat top of the table since October, although the Gunners now have a game in hand as they prepare to face Chelsea on Sunday. If Guardiola’s men win their remaining 10 fixtures, including a showdown with Arsenal at home on April 18th, then they will be crowned champions. City have notoriously embarked on incredible winning runs across the closing stages of the season and their current four-game winning streak suggests they may be able to do it again. But without Haaland, that could be an uphill struggle.

Manchester City’s second half struggles

No Premier League club has scored fewer second half goals in 2026 than Man City, which is a surprising statistic for one of the best teams in the world. Incredibly, City’s only two second half goals this year arrived in stoppage time in the crucial comeback win over Liverpool at Anfield. That triumph realistically kept City in the title race but those two strikes remain their second half efforts across eight league games in 2026 – Manchester United lead the way with 11.

City’s struggles in the second half this year have been costly as it’s cost them four points in consecutive games at the Etihad. Chelsea scored a last-minute equaliser in early January before Karou Mitoma secured a point for Brighton just three days later in another 1-1 draw. City also lost two second half goals in the 2-0 defeat in the Manchester derby and it’s been a fairly consistent pattern across the season.