Manchester City and Leeds United go enter this weekend with one clear mission — bounce back with victory for Premier League when dem jam for Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
This match na their first meeting since May 2023, that time wey two early goals from Ilkay Gundogan give City 2-1 win for home.
Match Preview
Pep Guardiola 100th Champions League match as Man City manager end in pain as him rotated squad fall 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday — City first group-stage loss for Etihad in over seven years.
Guardiola make 10 changes and e no work at all — the team scatter, players wey suppose prove themselves no deliver. Pep don later accept say the rotation “too much”.
This setback follow their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle for Premier League. That loss end their four-game winning streak and drop them to 3rd for table — seven points behind leaders Arsenal.
City go need respond sharp sharp as dem don win their last four Premier League games against Leeds — equal the total wins wey dem get for their first 16 PL meetings (D5 L7). City don score 16 goals for those last four wins, including the 7-0 demolition for December 2021.
City dey aim to win six straight home league matches by at least two goals for the first time since the run of eight between January and May 2023. Dem too don win 23 of their last 25 PL matches against promoted teams (D2). Their last loss to one promoted team? April 2021… against Leeds.
Leeds enter the toughest stretch of their season — Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool back-to-back — at a time wey dem form bad: five losses in their last six PL matches (W1) including Brighton 3-0, Nottingham Forest 3-1 and Aston Villa 2-1.
Against Villa last weekend, ex-City boy Lukas Nmecha score first but the team collapse for second half as Morgan Rogers score twice. Leeds don lose seven league games already this season — and dem never lose three PL matches in a row after scoring first… until now.
Interestingly, Leeds last four league goals all come inside the first 15 minutes. Dem dey start well but finish poorly. Only Wolves (seven) get fewer total PL goals than Leeds (11) after 12 games.
Daniel Farke tactical choices dey raise eyebrows as Leeds don concede at least once in nine straight PL games (17 goals total), and dem don fall into relegation zone — even though dem still level on points with West Ham for 17th.
Leeds don lose their last two away PL matches at the Etihad, something wey dem never do more than twice since 1963–1968 (four straight losses). But Farke still fit get small hope — he don beat Guardiola before with Norwich for 2019.
Team News
Man City still go dey without Mateo Kovacic and Rodri. Kovacic get ankle/heel problem, while Rodri still dey build fitness after hamstring injury.
Nico Gonzalez likely go start again as the holding midfielder. Guardiola expected to return to full-strength lineup after the Leverkusen disaster.
Possible defence: Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly in front of keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Tijjani Reijnders or captain Bernardo Silva fit pair Nico Gonzalez for midfield.
Attack likely go feature Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki supporting Erling Haaland — the Leeds-born striker wey dey chase his 100th Premier League goal after scoring for his last five Etihad PL matches.
For Leeds, Anton Stach get concussion last weekend and Farke don confirm say him no go travel.
Sean Longstaff go miss “four to six weeks” with calf injury. Sebastiaan Bornauw still be doubt after missing Wednesday training.
Midfield trio likely: Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu (one yellow away from suspension).
Lukas Nmecha, wey don start and score for the last two matches, go hope keep him spot ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Manchester City Possible XI:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Gonzalez; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Leeds United Possible XI:
Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Gruev, Ampadu, Tanaka; James, Nmecha, Gnonto
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Leeds United
Whenever City lose, their reaction dey brutal — and unfortunately for Leeds, everything point to another long afternoon. Leeds no dey defend well, no dey score enough and their confidence dey low.
City go enter this one hungry, fresh and determined not to let Arsenal run away. If City show even half of their usual sharpness, dem fit win with comfort and at least two goals difference.
