Ederson, Rico Lewis, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden also return to the starting XI.
Making way are Stefan Ortega Moreno, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Rodrigo, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Bernardo.
Line-ups
City: Ederson, Lewis, Ake, Laporte, Akanji, Gundogan (c), De Bruyne, Foden, Alvarez, Mahrez, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Dias, Phillips, Stones, Grealish, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Gomez
Leeds United: Robles, Kristensen, Wober, Firpo, Ayling, McKennie, Forshaw, Roca, Harrison, Bamford, Gnonto.
Subs: Meslier, Koch, Aaronson, Summerville, Rodrigo, Stuijk, Rutter, Greenwood, Gray
Possible Formation
With Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez both starting against Leeds, it seems likely that the Blues will line-up with something resembling a 4-4-2.
That would mean Riyad Mahrez on the right and Phil Foden on the left as attacking midfielders/wingers.
De Bruyne and Gundogan would therefore pin the midfield quartet while Lewis and Nathan Ake are right and left-back respectively with Akanji and Laporte in central defence ahead of regular custodian Ederson.
How will Allardyce play it?
There’s been plenty of talk around Sam Allardyce’s return to management this week.
The former England boss has four matches to save a Leeds side who have been sliding ominously towards the relegation trapdoor over the past month or so – begging the question, does he have time to make an impact.
One thing ‘Big Sam’ has spoken of in his press conferences is that his team must stop conceding goals.
That suggests a defensive mindset and safety first attitude for his players, but whether Leeds will try and sit in and frustrate the Blues for 90 minutes is another matter.
This is hardly a free-hit for the Lilywhites given they will skip into the bottom three if they lose this weekend, so expect an aggressive press, no frills attitude, and a counter-attack outlet down the flanks.
City can go four points clear of Arsenal with a victory, and that would make the Gunners’ visit to Newcastle on Sunday a must-win clash.
The Premier League title race might have a different complexion by Sunday evening, but the Blues just have to make sure three points have been added to the tally by the final whistle in today’s game.
Stats and Milestones
City have won the last three Premier League games against Leeds by an aggregate score of 14-1 – as many times as they’d beaten them in their previous 15 meetings in the competition (D5 L7).
Leeds lost this exact fixture 7-0 last season, last losing consecutive away league games to City in April/November 1992.
City have lost just two of their last 60 Premier League games in the Saturday 3pm kick-off slot (W50 D8), with both of those losses coming at home to Crystal Palace (December 2018 and October 2021).
Leeds set a new Premier League record for goals conceded in a month during April, shipping 23 goals in seven games. It was the most by a top-flight side in one month since Birmingham City in April 1965 (also 23).
Since their return to the Premier League in 2020, Leeds have won more games (5) and have a higher win rate (56%) in May than they do in any other month. However, they won just one of their four May games last season (D1 L2), beating Brentford on the final day to avoid relegation.
Leeds lost four Premier League matches by three or more goals in April, having only done so once between August and March this season, losing 5-2 to Brentford in September. They were only the second side to suffer that many defeats by 3+ goals in a month in Premier League history, along with Swansea City in December 2016.
New Leeds boss Sam Allardyce will be the first manager to take charge of nine different clubs in the Premier League. He’s won his first game in charge at five of his previous eight clubs in the competition (D1 L2), though did lose most recently with West Bromwich Albion in December 2020.
With one goal and three assists, Phil Foden has been involved in four goals in his last two Premier League starts for City against Leeds.
Erling Haaland has scored 16 goals in 16 Premier League games on Saturdays this season. The last player to score more Saturday goals in a single campaign was Mohamed Salah (19 in 2017-18).
19-year-old Wilfried Gnonto has assisted three Premier League goals in his last six appearances in the competition and has four assists this season for Leeds – the only Whites player to assist more goals in a Premier League season as a teenager was Gary Kelly in 1993-94 (5).
