Manchester City head to Elland Road on Saturday evening aiming to ramp up the pressure on league leaders Arsenal in an encounter vital to both ends of the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola’s side arrive in West Yorkshire peaking at the perfect moment, having won their last five matches across all competitions. Following a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Newcastle last weekend, the Citizens have cut the gap at the summit and can move to within two points of the Gunners with a win tonight. While City have been defensive juggernauts lately—conceding just eight goals in their last 12 league outings—they face a Leeds side that has become notoriously difficult to beat under the lights.
Leeds United, meanwhile, have transformed into draw specialists to fuel their survival bid, recording eight stalemates since the start of December. Sitting 15th and six points clear of the drop zone, Daniel Farke’s men are unbeaten in February, most recently securing back-to-back 1–1 draws against Chelsea and Aston Villa. The Whites have proved to be a stubborn thorn in City’s side previously, and they will look to their formidable record in late kick-offs at Elland Road to spark an upset.
Leeds United vs Manchester City – Match preview and team news
Date: Saturday, 28 February 2026
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
Venue: Elland Road, Leeds
Referee: Peter Bankes
VAR: Paul Howard
Last Meeting: Manchester City 3–2 Leeds United (29 Nov 2025), Premier League
Team News
Leeds United
The hosts will be without Swiss attacker Noah Okafor, who is sidelined for at least a fortnight with a thigh injury. However, Gabriel Gudmundsson is available for selection after recovering from the illness that forced him off at Villa Park last weekend. Anton Stach has returned to full fitness and is expected to feature prominently following his spectacular free-kick goal against Aston Villa.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola continues to be without Croatian duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, both of whom remain sidelined with long-term injuries. There is better news regarding John Stones and Ruben Dias, who have both returned to full fitness recently. A late decision will be made on Jeremy Doku following his return to training, while Max Alleyne is also back in contention after a minor knock.
Form
Leeds United
The Whites have become one of the division’s most resilient sides, losing just twice in their last 16 matches across all competitions. Following a dominant 3–1 home win over Nottingham Forest, they have secured valuable points on the road with consecutive draws at Chelsea and Aston Villa. Notably, Leeds have drawn more games than any other side since December (8), often taking the lead only to be pegged back late on. They also boast an incredible 25-match unbeaten streak at Elland Road in fixtures kicking off after 5pm.
Manchester City
City are hitting their trademark late-season stride, recording three consecutive Premier League victories and five wins in a row overall. Their latest success was a clinical 2–1 win over Newcastle, inspired by academy starlet Nico O’Reilly. Notably, the Citizens have been remarkably clinical against newly-promoted sides, winning 24 of their last 27 such encounters. However, they remain wary of Leeds, having conceded 2+ goals against them in two of their last three top-flight meetings.
