MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - RB LEIPZIG 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY

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Manchester City relied on fantastic late cameos from Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku to edge over the line against RB Leipzig, in a match they dominated from start to finish.

In a game dominated by the Blues, in terms of possession, chances created and overall stability in the game, it'd have been a travesty of justice had City not come away from the Red Bull Arena with the three points their performance fully deserved.

The slick City machine was functioning from the very start, with Rico Lewis, who very few people expected to start, at the very heart of it playing as the right sided 8.

The 18 year old linked up really well with the returning Bernardo Silva, making numerous Kevin de Bruyne-esque underlapping runs in behind the back of Leipzig's defence onto Bernardo's angled through balls.

This worked to great success in the 25th minute, as Lewis combined with Bernardo and cut the ball back to Phil Foden on the edge of the box, who placed the ball in the top right corner on the volley for his second goal of the season.

City remained in control of proceedings, but lost their focus for a split second just after the break, which Leipzig pounced upon. Forward Lois Openada broke forward on the counter attack, and held Manuel Akanji off for long enough to slide a shot past the onrushing Ederson and in off the inside of the post.

Nevertheless, City remained in top gear, but it looked like it wouldn't go their way, particularly considering Erling Haaland missed a handful of half chances. Leipzig's defenders were coping with the Norwegian well, meaning City's spark would have to come from elsewhere.

And that spark came from Doku and Alvarez, who came on for Jack Grealish and Phil Foden respectively. The two combined for the Argentinian's sixth goal of the season, as Doku cut inside from the left hand side and laid it off to Alvarez, who curled a peach of a strike beyond Janis Blaswich in goal for Leipzig.

In stoppage time, a quick counter attack involving Haaland, Alvarez and Doku saw the former Rennes player with a 1 vs 1 opportunity, and he made no mistake in front of goal to score his first ever Champions League goal.

It was arguably City's best performance of the season so far, who were greatly boosted by the return of Rodri, who has missed the last two domestic games due to his red card against Nottingham Forest.

As well as that, the wing pairing of Grealish and Bernardo - plus utilising Lewis as a number 8 - saw City play with short, patient passes at a low tempo, which tires Leipzig out and helps City dictate the game in the way they want to, which was lacking somewhat against Wolves and in other games earlier this season.

On who replaces Rodri for the tough Arsenal game at the weekend, it remains to be seen. Has Lewis done enough to earn a spot in the 11? Will Kovacic and/or Nunes come back into the side? Is there any chance we'll see Kalvin Phillips?

Either way, City will go up against Arsenal, who could well be without key man Bukayo Saka, knowing there is a good chance they'll come away from the Emirates with all three points.

Here are the player ratings for the convincing victory against Leipzig: ( In a 3-2-4-1 formation)

Ederson - 6.5/10 - Little to do in goal for City. Can't be blamed for the goal, and his distribution was solid as always. At the moment, it feels like I make the same comments on Ederson every game!

Walker - 6.5/10 - Held his position well, and was on call to stop Leipzig counters. In the second half, he offered an outlet down the right hand side, and linked up well with Bernardo and Lewis.

Dias - 6.5/10 - Made the odd mistake when passing out from the back, however, it cost City nothing more than a half chance or a corner. In general, he led the backline well, and looked dominant and imposing in the air.

Gvardiol - 7.5/10 - Excellent performance from the 21 year old, on his return to the Red Bull Arena. Gvardiol played well at left back, passing the ball under pressure and looking to support Grealish by making overlapping runs.

Akanji - 6/10 - Arguably City's weakest performer on the day, although that's not to say he played badly. Akanji looked slightly uncomfortable pushing into midfield, although he did a solid enough job in there to create space for Rodri and to help the side gain control.

Rodri - 7/10 - On his return to the side, Rodri helped dictate the play from deep positions, and linked up well with Foden, Gvardiol and Grealish on the left. Other than a few loose passes, he was very solid, as per usual.

Bernardo - 8/10 - Coming back from a minor injury, Bernardo looked a threat, and gave his opposite number, David Raum, a tough time all night. Contributed highly to the first goal with a positive carry and precise angled through ball to Lewis.

Lewis - 9/10 - The 18 year old was the best player on the pitch yesterday, and caused Leipzig all sorts of issues. His highlight moment, other than the assist for Foden, was a remarkable track back and recovery after giving the ball away on the edge of his own box.

Foden - 8.5/10 - Majestic and technically flawless on numerous occasions, Foden looked at home playing in the left hand half space. He took his goal brilliantly, and looked the most likely player to create a chance before Doku and Alvarez came on.

Grealish - 7.5/10 - Contrary to the popular opinion, I personally felt Grealish was magnificent on the left hand side. He linked with his teammates well, and helped City maintain a good tempo in the game by slowing things down when they needed to be slowed down. He also looked to create chances, and could've got an assist for Haaland off the back of a lovely clipped through pass.

Haaland - 7/10 - Should've arguably tucked one of his chances away, but other than that, there was little to complain about in Haaland's performance. He looked sharp and lively when controlling the ball, and played a huge role in the third game, as well as providing a constant problem with his presence on the pitch alone.

Substitutes:

Doku - 7.5/10 - Electric off the bench, and looked aggressive and dangerous when taking on his man. Finished his goal off well, and contributed hugely overall to edging City over the line.

Ake - 6.5/10 - Came on to help City look more secure on the back, and to also give Akanji some well deserved rest. Looked solid individually in his time on the pitch.

Alvarez - 7.5/10 - Scored an absolute beauty, and set up Doku with a well weighted through ball. At the moment, the 23 year old is indispensable to City, and can now be considered as one of the best players in the world.