Key events
Not long now: The teams emerge from the Elland Road tunnel, with both sets of players wearing tracksuit tops over their shirts to keep out the Christmas chill. Liam Cooper leads out the home side, while Ilkay Gundogan skippers Manchester City.
Elland Road is packed. One of the more lively grounds in the Premier League, the home side will need every decibel of their fans’ can generate on their behalf tonight. It’s difficult to see past a Manchester City win but … you never know. Having said that, I’m predicting a fairly emphatic City win.
Leeds United v Manchester City line-ups
Leeds United: Meslier, Kristensen, Struijk, Cooper, Koch, Roca, Forshaw, Aaronson, Gnonto, Greenwood, Rodrigo.
Subs: Robles, Ayling, Firpo, Summerville, Harrison, Llorente, Gyabi, Gelhardt, Klich.
Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Ake, Stones, Akanji, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland.
Subs: Moreno, Walker, Phillips, Cancelo, Laporte, Silva, Gomez, Foden, Palmer.
Team news
Ilan Meslier starts in goal for Leeds after recovering from glandular fever. Crysencio Summerville starts on the bench and with Tyler Adams is suspended, Sam Greenwoood and Adam Forshaw start.
Leeds born Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is an obvious starter against his father Alfie’s former club, where he will go up against his father RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch. Jack Grealish also lines up against Leeds, with Cole Palmer making way from the side that started in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Liverpool. Ederson is back in goal for City, while John Stones is in for Aymeric Laporte in the heart of City’s defence.
Tonight’s match officials
Early team news
Leeds United are without Tyler Adams, the USA captain suspended tonight on the back of his late dismissal against Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Long term absentees Stuart Dallas (broken leg) and Archie Gray (ankle) are also sidelined. Goalkeeper Ilan Meslier is also a doubt with illness, while striker Patrick Bamford, wingers Crysencio Summerville and Jack Harrison, centre-back Liam Cooper and midfiedler Mateusz Klich are also major doubts. Klich is expected to lerave the club in January, with MLS club DC United havingtabled a generous offer.
Manchester City will be without Kalvin Phillips, who Pep Guardiola has deemed to be carrying too much timber upon his return from World Cup duty with England. Oh to be as “overweight” as the apparently lardy defensive midfielder. Presumably still whopping it up somewhere in Argentina as he celebrates his pivotal role in his country’s World Cup win, Julian Alvarez is also unavailable. Centre-back Ruben Diaz will also miss out with a hamstring injury.
Premier League: Leeds United v Manchester CIty
Season’s greetings one and all. The festive calendar continues with tonight’s match between Leeds United and Manchester City at Elland Road. Despite being white-hot favourites to retain their title, the reigning champions are in third place, eight points behind league leaders Arsenal.
On their most recent Premier League excursion back in mid-November, they lost 2-1 at home to Brentford. Leeds United, their hosts tonight, lost by the odd goal of seven in a thriller at White Hart Lane on the same day. With both sides looking to get back to winning ways in the top flight tonight, kick-off in Yorkshire is at 8pm. Stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.