Manchester City will look to get back on track against Premier League new boys Leeds United in a tricky trip to Elland Road on Saturday.
After claiming an impressive win against Wolves at Molineux in their season opener, City succumbed to a humiliating 5-2 defeat at home to Leicester last weekend.
Leeds, on the other hand, are sitting pretty in seventh having won two games from three, their only defeat coming away at Liverpool on an opening day.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side come in with nothing to lose, while defeat for City could leave Pep Guardiol’s side nine points behind Liverpool come Sunday.
It’s fair to say you never know quite what you’re going to get with Manchester City and Sunday’s collapse against Leicester will have concerned Pep Guardiola.
And with both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus out injured, Leeds are certainly in with a chance.
However, particularly after their Leicester defeat, City will have a point to prove and I expect them to claim the three points.
TEAM NEWS
Leeds United have no new injury concerns but on-loan midfielder Jack Harrison is ineligible to face his parent club.
Ezgjan Alioski is set to come in, while Pablo Hernandez is still sidelined.
Ruben Dias is in contention for his debut but Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan remain out.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This is the first competitive meeting between the teams since 2013, when City won 4-0 at home in an FA Cup tie.
- The most recent encounter at Elland Road ended 2-1 to Leeds in the Premier League in March 2004.
- Manchester City have beaten Leeds in only two of the seven Premier League away fixtures, losing five times.
Leeds United
- The Whites have won 14 of their past 17 league matches, keeping clean sheets in 11 of those victories.
- Leeds can earn three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since January 2003.
- The eight goals scored by Leeds equals the record for a promoted side after three games, last set by Bolton Wanderers in 2001.
- They have scored a league-high five goals from a set-piece.
- Patrick Bamford has scored three goals in three Premier League appearances this season, after scoring one in 27 matches for Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Burnley and Middlesbrough.
- Kalvin Phillips has created nine goalscoring opportunities in the Premier League this season, the most of any Leeds player.
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Manchester City
- Manchester City could lose successive league fixtures for the first time since December 2018.
- They have won three successive Premier League away matches, by an aggregate score of 12-1.
- City’s solitary defeat in their past 31 top-flight meetings with promoted teams came at Norwich in September last year (W25, D5).
- They let in five goals against Leicester last time out, matching the total tally they had conceded in the previous 11 league games.
- It was the first time a Pep Guardiola team had conceded five times – in his 686th match as a manager – and the first time in 12 years that City had let in five goals.
- Guardiola is undefeated in three previous meetings with Marcelo Bielsa, when the pair were in charge of Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao respectively (W2, D1).
- Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in 35 Premier League goals (14 goals, 21 assists) since the start of last season, two more than any other player during that period.
PREDICTION: 1-3
