68-year-old Allardyce is back in the Premier League with the task of saving Leeds in the English top flight.
No one thought that it would be an easy task in the first game – and it wasn’t either.
Ilkay Gündogan made it 1-0 for league leaders City after 19 minutes played after unleashing a right-hander at the height of the penalty area line. Barely ten minutes later, the midfielder scored his and the home team’s second goal from a more or less identical position to the 1–0 goal. This time, Gündogan chose to place the finish in the other corner and it was 2–0 City.
Leeds manager Sam Allardyce.
Erling Braut Haaland, who tops the shooting league in superior style, had to leave the match goalless – despite both crossbar and post shots.
Gündogan had the opportunity to score a hat-trick in the closing stages, but the penalty hit the post. Shortly after the bogged down chance from eleven meters, Leeds reduced through Rodrigo.
But Allardyce’s team did not get closer than that, but City won 2–1.
City top the league on 82 points, four points ahead of Arsenal. Leeds are 17th in the table with 30 points, the same as relegation-placed Nottingham Forest.