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The Premier League champions tonight resume the defence of their Premier League title away at Elland Road sitting eight points off leaders Arsenal with this game in hand. City and Leeds are the final two teams back in action after the six-week break for the World Cup, and nearly all of the champions’ rivals have won to crank up the pressure.
While Erling Haaland had the tournament off, City have since lost Ruben Dias to fitness issues while World Cup winner Julian Alvarez is being given extra time off after being crowned a champion. The likes of Kyle Walker, Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are on a very strong bench for City.
For Leeds, goalkeeper Illan Meslier was a doubt after a bout of glandular fever, but is passed fit, while Tyler Adams is suspended after being shown a red card before the break. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog.
Live updates
This young fan wants a late Christmas present from the champions.
Kick-off is in 10 minutes.
He looks alright. Don’t know what Pep is talking about (also: he knows better than me).
Erling Haaland starts against the city of his birth. He also faces his former manager at RB Salzburg. I can’t imagine he’ll have any concerns about scoring tonight.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, without USA captain Tyler Adams through suspension, made two changes from the side which lost at Tottenham before the World Cup break.
Adam Forshaw made his first competitive appearance since August in place of Adams and Sam Greenwood made his third Premier League start for the club.
So, the big news is that Rico Lewis is in for his first Premier League start with Manchester City, replacing Joao Cancelo at right-back.
Elsewhere, Stones and Akanji start, while Grealish gets the nod ahead of Foden.
Man City XI
Rico Lewis is in at right-back for his first Premier League start!
Leeds XI
Here’s how the hosts look.
Kalvin Phillips is in the Manchester City squad tonight, despite being “overweight”. That was Pep’s words, not mine.
Foden and Cancelo benched?
Early team news reports claim both Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo could be starting on the bench tonight.
Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are expected to start.
Haaland ‘won’t be seduced by Leeds’
Pep Guardiola does not expect Erling Haaland to be softened up by any nice words from Leeds ahead of his return to the city of his birth.
Haaland, aho has scored 24 goals in just 19 appearances for City, was born in the West Yorkshire city in 2000 during his father Alf-Inge’s three-year spell as a defender with the Whites.
He grew up supporting Leeds – as well as City, where father Alf-Inge subsequently played – and the encounter is sure to be a poignant one for the Haaland family.
Adding to the sentiment, the game will also reunite Haaland with Jesse Marsch, the Leeds manager under whom he played earlier in his career at RB Salzburg.
Marsch has spoken of his “incredible relationship” with the player and joked that he would not mind if Haaland had a “small hamstring injury” on the day of the game.
But City boss Guardiola said: “It will not be a friendly game. They want to win, we want to win. Their fans will push their team.
“Hopefully Erling cannot be contaminated with the nice words from the opponent. I think he will be ready and I’m pretty sure Jesse would prefer to play with our good players on the pitch.”
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