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Once again, Manchester City have the chance to put pressure on Arsenal by closing the gap to two points ahead of the Gunners’ home game with Chelsea on Sunday.
City edged past Newcastle last week to say ‘over to you’ but Arsenal responded in style by crushing Tottenham 4-1.
However, Pep Guardiola knows that one week won’t decide everything; it’s sustained pressure that counts and three more points here will add to the impression that City are coming on strong again just when it counts.
The visitors have now won seven of their last eight games in all competitions and in a form table over the last six games they’d be third.
Leeds have been bright too over the last few months and the turning point was when they changed formation to 3-5-2 during a very narrow 3-2 defeat to City at the Etihad in late November.
If the Premier League had started straight after that game, Daniel Farke’s men would be eighth having accrued 20 points in their 14 games since.
In the actual table, Leeds are 15th but still only six points clear of the drop zone. Despite that sustained run of good form, there is still plenty of work to do.
How to watch Leeds v Man City
Leeds v Man City kicks off at 17.30 GMT on Saturday, February 28 at Elland Road. The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 17:00.
BBC Radio 5 Live will provide full live radio coverage.
Leeds team news
Leeds have a pretty clean bill of health for Saturday’s game.
Their only absentee is set to be Noah Okafor, who is sidelined with a hamstring problem.
Gabriel Gudmundsson was taken off during the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa with illness but should be okay to start in a five-man midfield.
Leeds expected line-up
(3-5-2) Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Stach, Gudmundsson; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.
Man City team news
For City, defender Josko Gvardiol and midfielder Mateo Kovacic remain unavailable, while winger Jeremy Doku is still trying to shake off a calf problem.
Young centre-back Max Alleyne could be in contention again after returning to training following a knock.
Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden will be pushing for starts, with Omar Marmoush the most likely man to drop out from the starting XI against Newcastle.
Man City expected line-up
(4-1-4-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri; Semenyo, O’Reilly, Silva, Cherki; Haaland.
Leeds v Man City stats
– Leeds have lost each of their last five Premier League games against Man City, having lost just four of their first 16 against them in the competition (W7 D5).
– Man City have won their last two away league games against Leeds – only once have they won three consecutively, doing so in their first three visits to Elland Road between 1924 and 1928.
– Since the start of December, Leeds United have drawn more games than any other Premier League side (8), with the Whites going 1-0 ahead in three of their last four draws which all ended 1-1.
– Since the 2017-18 season, Manchester City have only conceded 2+ goals in three of their 52 Premier League games against newly promoted teams.
– Leeds United haven’t lost any of their last 25 league or play-off matches at Elland Road that have kicked off after 5pm (W20 D5) since a 6-1 defeat to Liverpool in April 2023.
– Leeds-born striker Erling Haaland scored two Premier League goals on his last visit to Elland Road in December 2022 for Man City.
– Nico O’Reilly has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances for Manchester City. The last City player to net in three in a row before the age of 21 was Phil Foden in June/July 2020.
– Three of Anton Stach’s four Premier League goals have been direct free-kick goals, with only Ian Harte in 2000-01 (4) ever scoring more in a Premier League season for Leeds.
Leeds v Man City predictions
Although Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 victory at Elland Road, Leeds don’t lose many at home.
And when it comes to later kick-offs, they don’t lose at all!
But rather than the match market, this could be a great evening for backing goals.
The two shared five at the Etihad and Leeds played out a 3-3 home draw with Liverpool. Overall, five of Leeds’ last seven home games have witnessed four or more goals.
Therefore, back over 3.5 Goals at 13/8.
Anytime scorer punts also appeal and after his move into midfield, Nico O’Reilly looks great value at 7/1 to find the net.
The Englishman has scored three times in his last two Premier League games, including a brace against Newcastle last time.
