Manchester City return to Premier League action with a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Wednesday evening.
Looking at previous meetings between this pair doesn't immediately offer a pattern. Yes, City rattled in 11 goals without reply across their two games against Leeds last season. Yet, in the campaign before, Pep Guardiola's champions collected just one point against the Yorkshire outfit.
Here's the XI Guardiola may deploy to ensure his side resume the thrashings they dished out in 2021/22.
Man City predicted lineup vs Leeds (4-3-3)
GK: Ederson - The heavily inked goalkeeper is proud of his body art - and wants everyone to know it. "I have them on my neck so people can tell that I'm a guy that loves tattoos," he explained. Message received.
RB: Kyle Walker - Rico Lewis became the latest young player to receive a tsunami of praise from Guardiola. Never one to over-use a burgeoning talent - just look at Phil Foden's fight for minutes - Lewis may not be rushed into consecutive starts after starring against Liverpool last Thursday.
CB: John Stones - When quizzed by England's in-house media team during the World Cup, Stones made the surprising admission that, if he could be one person for a day, he would plump for the President of the United States. Aim high.
CB: Aymeric Laporte - "Honestly, I don’t like watching matches,” Laporte admitted during the World Cup. That answers how much more of the tournament the City centre-back took an interest in after Spain's second-round exit.
LB: Joao Cancelo - Comfortable in both full-back roles, Cancelo is prepared to play anywhere Guardiola demands. "I always try to help the team wherever the team need me," he explained, "even if the manager asks me to be a goalkeeper I can also do it!"
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - Upon his return from Belgium's unsuccessful World Cup, De Bruyne may have been "grumpy" according to Guardiola. But he also underlined that he is "one of the greatest, greatest, greatest players of this club".
CM: Rodri - Spent the winter playing at centre-back for Spain but swiftly and serenely returned to the base of midfield in City's cup victory over Liverpool.
CM: Bernardo Silva - A brief cameo against Liverpool last Thursday ensured that Bernardo retained his record of appearing in every City game across all competitions this season.
RW: Riyad Mahrez - Last season's top scorer has found the net in each of his last three appearances for City, nabbing the winner against Liverpool to kick off the post-World Cup calendar with a flourish.
ST: Erling Haaland - The boyhood Leeds fan was given "permission to have a small hamstring injury" by his former RB Salzburg manager and current Leeds incumbent Jesse Marsch.
LW: Phil Foden - Lauding the impact of Guardiola, Foden claims that he has become "ten times better as a player” under the Catalan's tutelage.
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Source : 90min