Manchester City host Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, seeking to end a two-match losing streak following defeats to Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen. Pep Guardiola has urged his players to take risks and avoid a safety-first approach after criticizing their midweek Champions League performance. Leeds, struggling in 18th place, face mounting pressure on manager Daniel Farke.
Manchester City enter their Premier League clash with Leeds United on the back of consecutive defeats: a 2-1 loss at Newcastle United last weekend and a 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League midweek. Guardiola made 10 changes for the European tie, retaining only Nico Gonzalez from the Newcastle lineup, but the rotation backfired as Leverkusen secured their first win at the Etihad in the group stage in seven years. City, now third in the table and seven points behind leaders Arsenal, need a strong response to maintain pressure on the top.
Guardiola expressed disappointment in his squad's cautious play against Leverkusen. "In football you have to try things and we didn’t try," he said. "They played to be safe." He emphasized rotation due to a demanding schedule, including three Premier League games in eight days, but defended his players' potential. The manager also praised Leeds boss Daniel Farke amid the visitors' relegation-zone position. "I have an incredible opinion of Daniel," Guardiola added. "The Premier League is always like that... it is so demanding."
Team news sees key returns for City, with Erling Haaland expected to lead the attack—he needs one more goal for 100 in the Premier League and has scored in his last five league games at the Etihad. Goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma is set to start, while Rodri remains sidelined with a hamstring injury until early December, and Mateo Kovacic is out until February or March due to an ankle issue. Leeds, on a three-match losing run with just one win in their last six, will miss midfielder Anton Stach (concussion) and Sean Longstaff (calf, one month out).
Historically, City dominate this fixture, winning their last four Premier League meetings against Leeds and 16 goals in those games. They have triumphed in 23 of their last 25 league matches against promoted sides, including a 7-0 thrashing of Leeds in 2021. Expected lineups suggest a strong City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Gonzalez; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland. For Leeds: Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Gruev, Ampadu, Tanaka; James, Nmecha, Gnonto.
The match kicks off at 3 p.m. GMT at the Etihad Stadium.
