Manchester City return to action in the league at Elland Road against Leeds United, desperately seeking to stay in touch with the top of the table after Newcastle United climbed above them and Arsenal stretched the gap to eight points. See Last Word on Football’s Manchester City predicted lineup for the clash with the Whites that will kickstart the second half of City’s season.
Manchester City Predicted Lineup vs Leeds United
How Manchester City Have Lined-up Recently
Manchester City tend to line up in a 4-3-3 shape. Ederson starts in goal, protected by two centre-backs such as Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte. Joao Cancelo plays on either the right or the left depending on the club’s needs, with Kyle Walker tending to start at right-back. Rodri plays as a screening midfielder for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Two attacking midfielders play in a more free role for City, with Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan being popular choices. A right-winger and left-winger (with heavy and unpredictable rotation) start behind Erling Haaland, providing the club with all the firepower they could need.
Read More: Can Arsenal Beat City to the Title?
Manchester City Recent Form and Tactics
Manchester City are on good recent form. Their first competitive match back was a 3-2 win over Liverpool, but did reveal some defensive weaknesses for the club as Darwin Nunez failed to finish his chances. A friendly win against Girona is the only other post-break match to consider, finishing 2-0.
Guardiola’s main tactic involves effectively suffocating the opponent with an incredibly rigid structure. By holding the ball high, City create chances through clever darting runs and incredible amounts of pressure on the backline. Getting Erling Haaland in has changed this somewhat with his tendency to run in behind, but dominance is the name of the game at the Etihad. Leeds United will look to disrupt this, as Jesse Marsch thrives on chaos.
Manchester City Injuries to Consider
There are relatively few injuries in this side. Julian Alvarez is (understandably) returning late from international duty after his role in the World Cup victory over France, with former Leeds favourite Kalvin Phillips returning a little bit over his expected weight on his return from England duty.
Ruben Dias is another significant loss for Manchester City. He received a hamstring injury in the World Cup loss to Morocco, and will not be available for the match against the Whites.
Read More: Julian Alvarez’s Player Rating in the World Cup Final
Manchester City Predicted Lineup
- Ederson
- Kyle Walker
- Aymeric Laporte
- John Stones
- Joao Cancelo
- Rodri
- Bernardo Silva
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Riyad Mahrez
- Erling Haaland
- Phil Foden
Current Odds: Manchester City vs Leeds United
City are clear favourites at 1/3. The home side are outsiders at 9/1, with a draw coming in at 5/1.
