Man City Keep Title Defence Dream Alive with Leeds’ Test

Manchester City’s dream of becoming only the second team in Premier League history to win the Premier League title after neighbours-United, comes alive again today as the Citizens welcome relegation-threatened Leeds United to the Etihad this afternoon. Pep Guardiola’s side overtook Arsenal, who had hitherto enjoyed the top spot for 427 days after defeat to Fulham and have not hidden their quest of winning the treble this season after already booking a place in the final of the FA Cup and in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. Except the unthinkable happens, with their present form the Citizens would most likely be crowned the English champions come May 28

Manchester City will attempt to increase their lead at the top of the Premier League table when they welcome Sam Allardyce’s Leeds United to the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

The Premier League have confirmed that the 3pm contest will be televised, with the usual 12.30pm slot avoided to work around the Coronation of King Charles.

Those who questioned whether Man City were a better team without Erling Haaland must surely have had a change of heart by now, as the Norwegian striker continues to write his name in the history books courtesy of a truly remarkable debut season in front of goal.

At just 22 years of age, Haaland now holds the record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season after netting his 35th of the campaign in City’s 3-0 win at home against West Ham United on Wednesday night, increasing his overall goal tally in all competitions to a mind-boggling 51 in just 44 games.

Nathan Ake and Phil Foden were also on the scoresheet against the Hammers – the latter netting the 1000th City goal since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, to help the Citizens extend their impressive winning league run to nine matches and return to the summit at the expense of title rivals Arsenal with a game in hand.

Fixtures continue to come thick and fast for treble-chasing Man City, who on average have just over three days to prepare for each of their next seven games this month, including today’s meeting with Leeds and next Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg with Real Madrid in Spain.

Guardiola has previously played down suggestions that his players are tired and he is confident that they will continue their strong run of form, particularly against a Leeds outfit whom they have beaten by an aggregate score of 14-1 in their last three league meetings, including a 7-0 demolition on home soil last season.

After losing seven games out of 12 in just two-and-a-half months in charge, Javi Gracia’s brief stint as Leeds head coach has come to an end, along with the reign of sporting director Victor Orta, with the Spanish duo leaving the Whites in serious risk of suffering relegation from the Premier League.

A 4-1 loss at Bournemouth last weekend leaves Leeds sitting 17th in the table and precariously placed just above the bottom three on goal difference, and with just four games remaining, the West Yorkshire outfit have turned to an experienced head – one who rates himself “just as good” as Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, to steer them away from danger.

Sam Allardyce is taking on the ninth Premier League club of his 29-year coaching career, stepping into management for the first time in two years since suffering a 3-1 defeat as West Bromwich Albion boss against none other than Leeds at Elland Road at the end of the 2020-21 season, with the 68-year-old condemned to his first-ever top-flight relegation in the process.

One of the first big tasks for Big Sam is to tighten up a leaky Leeds backline that have conceded more goals (67) than any other top-flight team so far this season, including 20 goals shipped in seven matches in April, a Premier League record in a single month.

Allardyce – who has won just six of his 34 meetings with Man City as a manager believes that his new side require at least six points to potentially avoid the drop and he has not ruled out the prospect of pulling off a seismic shock today against a Citizens side who lost 2-1 against Leeds at the Etihad in April 2021 and against Brentford by the same scoreline earlier this season.

Meanwhile, aiming to avoid sharing the same fate as bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal make the long and arduous journey to St James’ Park for a Premier League date with Newcastle United tomorrow.

Both teams enjoyed 3-1 victories in their most recent fixtures, as the Magpies came from behind to see off Southampton, while Mikel Arteta’s men convincingly put Chelsea to the sword.

With eight wins to show from their last nine Premier League fixtures, Eddie Howe’s goal-happy crop can assure themselves of at least a top-seven finish with all three points on Sunday, and the Champions League fantasy becomes closer to a reality with every passing week for the third-placed hosts, who hold a six-point lead over sixth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.

While the Magpies can always be relied upon to deliver the goods in the final third – scoring at least twice in all of their recent eight wins, their defensive acumen has deserted them at the wrong time, with just one clean sheet to boast from their last 15 matches in all competitions.

Nevertheless, Howe’s men enter Sunday’s blockbuster battle on the back of four straight wins at St James’ Park, and their only defeats on home soil since January 2022 have been a pair of losses to Liverpool; few Arsenal fans will need a reminder of how their visit to Tyneside panned out this time last year.

Three humbling draws and a 4-1 trouncing at the hands of Manchester City saw the ‘bottling’ accusations come to the fore, but Mikel Arteta’s men ignored the outside noise and strolled to a three-goal success over the Blues on Tuesday.

Arteta’s side also remain the best-performing team on the road this season, despite failing to win any of their last three on rival territory, and it was men against boys when Newcastle strolled to a 2-0 win over the Gunners last May before Howe’s dogged defence held out for a 0-0 draw at the Emirates in January.