Manchester Metropolis will hope for a much-improved efficiency and all three factors as they host 18th-placed Leeds on Saturday (15:00 GMT). BBC Sport explores the important thing themes forward of this conflict.
‘Too many modifications’
It has been every week to neglect for Metropolis who’ve suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time this season, with Pep Guardiola taking “full duty” for the newest of these in midweek.
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Guardiola’s resolution to make 10 alterations to his aspect on his one centesimal Champions League sport accountable for the membership backfired as they had been overwhelmed 2-0 at house by Bayer Leverkusen.
“Too many modifications,” admitted the 54-year-old in his post-match press convention. “It was the primary time in my life I’ve finished it and it was an excessive amount of.”
Haaland’s hundred
Erling Haaland was a kind of rested on Tuesday and he will certainly begin this weekend as Guardiola seeks to return to profitable methods. The Norwegian is one shy of 100 Premier League targets and it might be becoming if his landmark strike got here towards a membership for which he has robust emotions.
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Haaland was born in Leeds as his father, Alf-Inge, performed 92 instances for the West Yorkshire aspect between 1997 and 2000 and the Metropolis objective machine usually wore a Leeds equipment as a toddler. The 25-year-old scored twice at Elland Highway in a 3-1 victory in December 2022 and his celebrations had been subdued. He defined afterwards that it was as a result of his respect for the opposition.
Ought to Haaland discover the web on Saturday, then he would prime an illustrious checklist because the quickest participant to achieve a century of Premier League targets, attaining the feat in 14 fewer appearances than the division’s all-time prime scorer, Alan Shearer.
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Metropolis will take confidence from the truth that they’ve received 23 of their previous 25 Premier League video games towards promoted opposition, drawing the opposite two. Nonetheless, the final time they misplaced to a top-flight newcomer was at house to Leeds United in April 2021.
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Leeds higher than outcomes recommend
Three successive Premier League defeats and 5 of their previous six video games has elevated the strain on Leeds boss Daniel Farke.
Followers seem divided on the German coach’s future and though he has credit score within the financial institution after final season’s 100-point title success within the second tier, he’s swiftly utilizing that up.
Leeds have scored first prior to now two matches however have been unable to transform these leads into factors and they’re the second-lowest scorers within the league, with 11 targets from 12 video games.
Nonetheless, the underlying stats recommend that Leeds are enjoying like a mid-table aspect and, in keeping with Opta’s mannequin, they need to have scored 4 extra Premier League targets and conceded virtually six fewer.
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Leeds have a greater anticipated targets whole than Tottenham, Aston Villa and Sunderland this season and decrease anticipated targets towards than Spurs and Manchester United.
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Farke additionally has earlier on the subject of defeating Guardiola’s Metropolis. His newly promoted Norwich aspect defeated the Sky Blues 3-2 again in September 2019.
The 49-year-old may grow to be simply the second supervisor to beat the Residents whereas accountable for two totally different promoted golf equipment following Bryan Robson, who did so twice with Middlesbrough in 1995-96 and as soon as with West Bromwich Albion in 2004-05.
Metropolis are a unique beast nowadays, nevertheless, and if Farke can mastermind one other victory on the Etihad, it might definitely dwarf Robson’s achievements.