Leeds vs Manchester City – News and Probable Lineups

Manchester City, contenders for the Premier League title, will aim to close the gap at the top as they head to Elland Road to take on Leeds United on Saturday evening.

The teams meet again three months after a thrilling five-goal match at the Etihad Stadium, where Leeds was undone by a stoppage-time goal from Phil Foden despite a strong second-half performance.

Match overview

Following a heavy 4-0 loss to Arsenal at the end of January, Leeds managed to stay unbeaten in February, securing five points from three Premier League matches (W1 D2) and advancing in the FA Cup.

In the Premier League, a crucial 3-1 home victory against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest was followed by consecutive away draws with Chelsea (2-2) and Aston Villa (1-1), where Anton Stach’s remarkable 35-yard free kick was equalized in the 88th minute.

Solely Manchester City and Manchester United (one each) have recorded fewer Premier League losses than Leeds (two) since December, although Daniel Farke’s squad has seen the most draws in this timeframe (eight), with Leeds leading 1-0 in three of the last four draws that ended up 1-1.

Indeed, squandering leads is a trend Leeds are eager to overcome; they have managed only seven clean sheets in 43 top-flight matches when scoring first since the 2021-22 season began. The Whites have conceded in every one of their previous 21 matches after taking a 1-0 lead in the first half, a streak originating from a 3-0 victory over Chelsea in August 2022.

Positioned 15th in the Premier League standings and six points clear of the relegation zone, Leeds will be looking to gather enough points in the coming weeks to alleviate their relegation worries. However, achieving success on Saturday may be tough, as they have lost their last five Premier League encounters against Manchester City, having been defeated just four times in the previous 16 league games against them (W7 D5).

Recently, Manchester City found themselves nine points behind leaders Arsenal with roughly 15 minutes left at Anfield before pulling off an incredible comeback to secure a victory against Liverpool. They followed that with home wins over Fulham and Newcastle, propelling them back into the race for the Premier League title.

Academy prospect Nico O’Reilly found the net twice, helping Pep Guardiola’s side to a 2-1 win over Newcastle last weekend. Although Arsenal’s triumph in the North London derby against Tottenham maintained their five-point lead at the top, City crucially have a game in hand and can narrow the gap to two points with a win against Leeds.

With 11 league fixtures remaining, questions linger about whether Guardiola’s redesigned Manchester City team – featuring several players who have yet to claim a title in England – can mount one of their characteristic winning streaks to surpass Arsenal. Nonetheless, their recent form indicates that the Citizens are gaining momentum that could prove challenging for an Arsenal side appearing to show early signs of pressure.

Notably, City have only suffered one defeat in their last 14 Premier League matches when playing the day before Arsenal (W10 D3), who are set to face Chelsea on Sunday. City also approach Saturday’s contest against Leeds with a record of 24 wins from their last 27 top-flight encounters with newly-promoted teams (D2 L1). However, that solitary defeat was at the hands of Leeds at the Etihad in April 2021 (2-1).

Additionally, the Citizens have allowed 2 or more goals in only three of their 52 top-flight matches against newly-promoted teams – two of those instances were against Leeds (including their 3-2 home defeat in November 2025), with the other being against Farke’s Norwich City in September 2019 (losing 3-2).

Team News

Leeds is currently managing an injury concern with Noah Okafor, who is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a hamstring issue, while Gabriel Gudmundsson will be evaluated after leaving the match at half time against Aston Villa due to illness.

Farke is anticipated to maintain a five-at-the-back formation, with James Justin, Joe Rodon, and Patrick Struijk keeping their positions at center-back, while Gudmundsson – if available – and Jayden Bogle will provide width as wing-backs.

Only Ian Harte in the 2000-01 season (four) has netted more free kicks in a Premier League season for Leeds than Stach, who is likely to play in an advanced central position alongside Brenden Aaronson. In the meantime, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who netted one of his ten Premier League goals in the earlier 3-2 loss to Manchester City this season, is expected to be included in the starting lineup.

Regarding Manchester City, Croatian duo Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Mateo Kovacic (ankle/heel) remain unavailable due to injuries, while there will be a late decision regarding Jeremy Doku’s fitness (calf). Max Alleyne (knock) is also uncertain.

In-form O’Reilly, who scored three goals in his last two Premier League outings, is set to continue in midfield alongside Rodri and captain Bernardo Silva, while Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are in contention to take over for either Omar Marmoush or Antoine Semenyo – most likely the former – in the attacking role.

Leeds native Erling Haaland scored twice during his last Premier League visit to Elland Road in December 2022 (a 3-1 victory for City) and is now aiming to become the first player for an away side to net more than two goals in consecutive top-flight visits to Elland Road.

Leeds United probable starting XI:

Darlow; Justin, Rodon, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Grove, Gudmundsson; Stach , Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin

Manchester City probable starting XI:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Foden; Semenyo, Haaland

With Manchester City having secured victories in their last two away league fixtures against Leeds, they make the trip to South Yorkshire as the favorites. Their recent form should provide them with confidence in striving for another important result as they look to increase pressure on title competitors Arsenal.

Nonetheless, this matchup has the potential to be tricky for the Citizens, as Leeds has demonstrated their capability to be formidable opponents against the top teams in the league, especially when the atmosphere is electric at Elland Road. Goals are expected, but City may not emerge victorious this time.