It’s a must win for Manchester City, who will look to shorten the gap to leaders Arsenal in the top of the Premier League table.
The Citizens are enjoying their second longest win streak of the season, having won each of the last five across all competitions.
Man City predicted XI vs Leeds
Man City (4-1-3-2): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri; Semenyo, Silva, O’Reilly; Haaland, Marmoush.
They will also be fresh before travelling to Leeds United. The game at Elland Road will take place one full week after their previous match – a home win against Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke’s men are still hard to beat despite sitting 15th. Just two losses from their last 16 games, coming at the hands of Arsenal and Newcastle.
Man City team news vs Leeds
Pep Guardiola will have a lot of options to choose from when deciding his starting lineup.
Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol remain out long term. But both Jeremy Doku and Max Alleyne are progressing well in their recoveries.
The Belgian, however, wasn’t deemed ready for the Newcastle game. This could change here but it’s still uncertain. Savinho returned to the bench last weekend and should be available again.
There is a chance Alleyne makes a full recovery and misses out nonetheless. With Ruben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi and John Stones all fit, there’s less room for the young defender.
Tote sign-up offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
Not signed up to Tote yet? Here's how eligible readers* can take advantage of their welcome offer:
- Open an account at Tote using this link.
- Use code B10G40 on registration.
- Deposit and place a £10 bet on sports or racing at 1/1 or greater.
- When it settles, unlock £30 in free bets
#AD 18+ New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Bet min of £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place) within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit and £/€10 Free Sports Bet. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to the bet slip. 7-day expiry. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.
Khusanov, in fact, replaced Dias at half-time against the Magpies due to a technical decision by Guardiola. He could start after a strong 45 minutes — better than his Portuguese counterpart.
The rest of the team should remain the same. A strong and resistant midfield with Rodri, Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly to endure Leeds’ physicality. Bernardo Silva has a more ‘fragile’ build but has lots of energy to run around for the whole 90 minutes.
Guardiola switched to a two-striker set last time around. It could match well considering Farke’s preference for playing with three at the back.
Although Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush haven’t quite figured out how to thrive together, they need time and repetitions. This could be another chance for them to develop much needed chemistry.
Full circle game for both sides
The reverse fixture between Man City and Leeds at Etihad Stadium was remarkable for both sides.
Man City eventually won 3-2 thanks to a Phil Foden stoppage-time winner. But still threw away an early 2-0 lead from the first 25 minutes.
Midnite Offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
How to claim:
- Open an account at Midnite using this link.
- Deposit £10 or more
- Place your first bet of £10 or more (minimum odds of 1/1)
- Receive £30 in free bets, valid for 7 days on selected betse only.
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Farke made two seemingly defensive substitutions down two goals at half time, taking out wingers Willy Gnonto and Daniel James for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and centre-back Jaka Bijol.
But the change from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 allowed their wing-backs to go further forward and occupy the attacking half and bring the team back from the dead.
From then on, the German manager leaned completely on this more physical and direct style of play, often bullying the opposition. He has since maintained roughly the same principles and immediately went on a seven-game unbeaten run after losing to Man City — which possibly even saved him his job.
As for the Citizens, it was an underwhelming win. But one that kick-started their longest win streak of the season (8). The second is their current one (5), and they will look to extend it to six against the very team against which the longest one started.
Here’s to hoping that Guardiola and Farke provide a tactical chess match of the same quality as the first one from back in November.