Man City Ratings vs Leipzig: Haaland winner saves City’s blushes

November 4, 2026 Olaoluwa Nwobodo 0 Comments

City edged a tight contest against Leipzig, with Erling Haaland’s late winner settling matters after a game that swung on individual moments more than sustained control. The performance was uneven: strong in patches through the spine and flanks, but fragile elsewhere, particularly in midfield balance and final-third threat from some of the more creative players.

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – 4/10

Made an error that led directly to a goal he should not have conceded. He still produced four saves, but this was well below the standard he has shown in better outings.

RB: Matheus Nunes – 5/10

His passing was tidy, yet he offered little in ball progression or chance creation. A limited contribution overall.

CB: Abdukodir Khusanov – 8/10

Solid in duels and excellent defensively. Four interceptions reflected sharp reading of the game, while his passing was nearly flawless (96% completion, including three of four long balls).

CB: Marc Guéhi – 5/10

Won both his ground duels and kept his overall passing respectable, but long-ball accuracy was poor (2/6). He was far less involved than Khusanov beside him.

LB: Nico O’Reilly – 6/10

Adequate defensively and helpful in progression. He created chances and won six of ten ground duels.

DM: Elliot Anderson – 8/10

Dominant in ground duels (10/11 won), excellent in possession (95% pass completion), and won three fouls to relieve pressure. He also took four of seven tackles. He essentially shielded the back line on his own and deserves this rating.

RW: Phil Foden – 4/10

Offered nothing in the final third (zero chances created) and completed just one of six dribbles. Passing was acceptable, but that was not the reason he was selected. A game to forget.

AM: Enzo Fernández – 7.5/10

Completed all three dribbles, won five fouls, and dominated his duels (8/11 ground duels). Chance creation was limited, yet he scored a timely goal that kept the sides close. A good outing.

AM: Rayan Cherki – 5/10

Chance creation and shooting were both poor (only one of four shots on target). Passing was fine, but it did not match what he is expected to provide. He was flat.

LW: Iliman Ndiaye – 7.5/10

Created two chances, including two big ones, and was sharp in possession. His dribbling troubled the opposition (2/3 completed, four fouls won). He was central to the narrow win.

ST: Erling Haaland – 7.5/10

All three shots were on target and he scored the winner. He won his ground duel and all three aerials, remaining a constant threat. He could have added more, but his goal decided the match.

Jeremy Doku (64′) – 7.5/10

Completed all three dribbles and created one good chance (0.37 xA). In only 26 minutes of regulation time he made a clear impact.

Rúben Dias (79′) – 5/10

Arrived with Leipzig pushing. He attempted just five passes and contributed little else.

Mateo Kovačić (83′) – N/A

Limited minutes. He completed his one dribble and passed adequately, but had little time to influence proceedings.

Ayyoub Bouaddi (83′) – N/A

Minimal involvement; only four passes attempted.

Allan Elias (83′) – N/A

Similar to Bouaddi, though he also lost two ground duels in his brief spell.

Manager: Enzo Maresca – 6/10

Starting without Bouaddi left the midfield harder to control and contributed to the goals conceded. Some early substitutions helped, and keeping Haaland on throughout proved decisive. City created decent opportunities but lacked the finishing to turn them into a more comfortable margin.

City got the result, largely through Haaland’s finishing and solid defensive shifts from Khusanov and Anderson, but the midfield imbalance and lacklustre nights from Foden and Cherki showed clear areas for improvement.