Leeds have been in decent form of late, collecting five points from their last three matches against Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. Their latest outing saw Daniel Farke’s side hold Villa to a 1-1 draw at Villa Park, with the equalizer coming via a fortunate deflection off Tammy Abraham. Despite the unconventional nature of the goal, Leeds were arguably the better side on the night, dominating their hosts and limiting Villa to very few clear-cut chances.
Bernardo Silva Escapes Red Card — and a Ban
The slice of luck for Manchester City concerns their captain and key midfielder Bernardo Silva. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher suggested on Ref Watch that Silva should have received a second yellow card for a foul on Dan Burn, saying the challenge was “reckless” and that the Portuguese star “doesn’t look at the ball.” Had the card been shown, Silva would have been suspended and unavailable for the trip to Elland Road. Instead, he walked away unpunished — a decision that has left Leeds supporters fuming.
City Flying High, Leeds Braced for a Fight
Manchester City arrive in impressive form. Pep Guardiola’s side have won five consecutive games across all competitions and are unbeaten in their last eight matches, keeping them firmly in the title race with a game in hand on league leaders Arsenal.
However, Leeds will draw confidence from their recent record against top-half opposition. The Whites have picked up results against Chelsea and Liverpool this season, and the reverse fixture at the Etihad was decided only by a stoppage-time winner for City. A roaring Elland Road crowd could be the decisive factor as Farke’s men look to pull further clear of the relegation zone.
