Nine starters 'confirmed' for Madrid?
Pep Guardiola insisted that he wouldn't think about the trip to Real Madrid on Tuesday before Manchester City had recorded a vital win against Leeds, but his teamsheet suggested differently. Jack Grealish was dropped for the first time in 12 league games, Ruben Dias for the first time in 15, and Rodri had started the last 25 Premier League fixtures.
Also rested were Kyle Walker, John Stones and Bernardo Silva, and all seven are presumably in line to start at the Bernabeu in the Champions League after a rest. Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland would all surely start, too, leaving just two starting spots to play for on Tuesday.
Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez could both be auditioning for the right-wing role, then, against Leeds - unless Bernardo played there in Spain and Ilkay Gundogan came in. Then, Nathan Ake will be favourite to start at left-back, but did Manu Akanji or Aymeric Laporte show they were worthy of a surprise inclusion?
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Lewis justifies Guardiola praise
When opting against backing Kalvin Phillips to definitely have a long-term future at City on Friday, Guardiola praised another teammate unprompted to emphasise the task facing Phillips to adapt to this squad.
"It's thanks to Rico, he helped us to understand what we had to do to play better and better," Guardiola said. "Without Rico this season, the step we made as a team would have been more difficult. That I’m pretty convinced about that. The movement he does he makes fluid many things."
Guardiola said Lewis pushed the likes of Kyle Walker and John Stones to improve, and backed the teenager to start against Leeds for the second time this season. Playing his usual role pushing into defensive midfield, Lewis looked like he hadn't been away - brushing off the physical treatment to allow Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne to run the show in midfield. As Guardiola said, he made those around him better once again.
Trialling new tactics for next season?
After Julian Alvarez's fine performance at Fulham in the 'De Bruyne' role behind Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola said he will have to find a way to play Alvarez in the same system as De Bruyne AND Haaland, rather than instead of one of them. He did that at the first opportunity against Leeds with De Bruyne back from injury, with the trio starting together for only the second time all season.
In that game, against Burnley in the FA Cup, Alvarez scored two and Haaland scored three. This time, though, Alvarez was firmly in midfield playing alongside De Bruyne rather than behind Haaland. The result was a relatively solid system that supported each other, and De Bruyne was given the licence to roam and dictate play.
The trio, as well as Gundogan, linked up well and created space for each other on multiple occasions, showing Guardiola's vision for a side with all three is one that can work in games like this against a low block.
De Bruyne back with a bang
'If he's fit, he plays', said Guardiola of Kevin De Bruyne after two games out with a minor injury, and the Belgian looked to make up for lost time vs Leeds despite the upcoming Champions League semi-final this week. Ilkay Gundogan sat in - aside from his two goals - and De Bruyne was allowed a free role in front of the Leeds defence.
De Bruyne was visibly frustrated when teammates didn't find his run, or couldn't reach his passing, and looked furious when Julian Alvarez fired over his cutback unmarked as he chases the two assists needed to equal his own Playmaker record in the final five fixtures of the season.
If City had any worries over De Bruyne's fitness or condition for the Madrid double-header in the next ten days, he dispelled them emphatically against Leeds. And his moody demeanour often means bad news for opponents, as Leeds found out, especially in the first half.
Guardiola's standards remain high
City were strolling to another three points against a hapless Leeds to the point that most fans would have taken the victory at halftime and gone home an hour early. So the penalty won by Phil Foden around ten minutes from time probably woke the majority of the Etihad up, but it did give Ilkay Gundogan the chance to score a popular hat-trick.
Gundogan missed, though, and a minute later Leeds had halves the deficit - suddenly going from 3-0 to 2-1 and setting up a nervy ending that was completely unnecessary. Guardiola's frustrations at the situation were evident, and he could be seen berating Erling Haaland that 'you have to take it' regarding the penalty.
It would be a bold move to take the spot kick off his captain and deny him a hat-trick, but Guardiola's standards remain high, and Haaland has only missed one penalty this season. The manager has warned that fine margins will dictate the title race, and he was proved right in the space of a minute on Saturday.
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