August 27, (THEWILL) – Manchester City secured a tight 2-1 victory over Sheffield United on Sunday to go top of the English Premier League table.
An Erling Haaland header in the 63rd minute put City in front, but the home side equalised through Jayden Bogle in the 85th minute. However, City midfielder Rodri fired in a late winner less than 3 minutes after Sheffield had levelled. The match was a hard-fought contest, with City dominating possession but unable to break through the resilient Sheffield defense. Haaland missed a penalty in the first half, and City was made to work tirelessly for openings.
The breakthrough finally came just after the hour mark when Jack Grealish crossed for Haaland to power home a textbook header. But Sheffield refused to cave, and Bogle’s equaliser looked to have secured a well-earned point.
Rodri had other ideas, crashing in the winner on 88 minutes after good work from Kyle Walker on the right flank. City withstood a late Sheffield surge to clinch the three points and top spot.
Manager Pep Guardiola was absent from the dugout as he recovers from back surgery, with assistant coach Juanma Lillo taking charge. But Guardiola’s gameplan ultimately prevailed in a game that required patience and persistence from the champions.
The win takes City to the EPL summit on nine points from three games. Sheffield remains winless but gave a good account of themselves against the reigning champions. They play in the EFL Cup on Wednesday at home against Lincoln while City are next up against Fulham on Saturday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
