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Manchester City return to the Premier League and host Leeds United. The Citizens are already leading the charts in the league and a win would solidify their run to yet another League title.
Table Toppers Manchester City will face a tricky challenge when they return to the Premier League and face Leeds United. City are on the verge of another Premier League title under Pep Guardiola and look to be running away with it. City also have eyes on a potential quadruple season and are on course to win all the four trophies up for the taking.
The Citizens faced a stern test in the Champions League before the Leeds fixture. Pep Guardiola’s side managed to eke out a hard-fought 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. Kevin de Bruyne gave the lead to the English side which was eventually cancelled out by a Marco Reus strike for the visitors. Dortmund were also denied a goal after Jude Bellingham was wrongly booked for a foul against Ederson at goal. Meanwhile, English youngster Phil Foden rose to the occasion and bagged the winner in the dying moments of the fixture to take a significant 2-1 lead to the second leg in Dortmund in more than a week’s time.
Manchester City registered a comfortable 2-0 victory at Leicester City in the Premier League in the run-up to the Leeds fixture. Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus scored to put them 14 points clear up top in the Premier League. The Citizens are on a six-game winning run following their 0-2 loss to Manchester United in March. They will pose a tough challenge to an inspiring yet much-weaker Leeds United.
The Citizens have been busy off the field too. They recently handed an extension to Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne till the end of the 2025 football season while club legend Sergio Aguero is in his last few months at the Etihad before his contract runs out.
Leeds United find themselves at 11th place in the Premier League and have given a good account of themselves. Marcelo Bielsa’s side like to play with the ball just like Pep Guardiola does, and has been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the current Premier League season. A series of wins for Leeds can put them well within the lower European spots, but that is unlikely with all the teams shifting gears in the business end of the season. Aston Villa and Arsenal are only two points above Bielsa’s side and can be leapfrogged by a string of positive results.
Leeds come into the Manchester City game with a 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Sheffield United. Jack Harrison gave Leeds the lead before Ben Osborn equalised for United. A Phil Jagielka own goal in the second half gave all three points to Bielsa’s team.
The Manchester City game is the first of three heavyweight fixtures for Bielsa’s side. They face Liverpool and Manchester United after the Guardiola challenge.
Key Players
Kevin de Bruyne
The finest midfielder in Europe by some margins, De Bruyne will take on the responsibility to create and score goals as his usual responsibility against a very attacking Leeds United side. He has already assisted 11 times in the Premier League and also scored 5 goals himself.
Ilkay Gundogan
With Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus out of form, the onus has fallen to Ilkay Gundogan to find goals for Manchester City. The German has stepped up in sheer fashion and is now the highest goal-scorer for City in the Premier League. He has scored 12 goals and created two goals as well.
Phil Foden
The young English attacker has risen up the ranks in the English National Team side and the Manchester City roster. He has created 5 goals and scored six goals as well.
Patrick Bamford
The Englishman is the leading goal-scorer for Leeds United in the current season. He has found the back of the net on 14 occasions and will be the primary target man for the Leeds midfield against City.
Prediction
Manchester City are in unstoppable form and are expected to prevail over Leeds United. The Citizens were taken to the task by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, courtesy an attacking brand of play posed by the visitors. Similarly, Bielsa’s side also likes to impose pressure and field as many men as possible upfront which will pose a test to Guardiola’s side.
Despite a very attacking brand of football posed by Leeds, the quality possessed by Manchester City is a little too much for them to sustain and take away any point from the fortress that is the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City are bound to register a landslide victory yet again barring a miracle, as the Premier League returns after a short Champions League break.
