Pep Guardiola has stated that Leeds United are ‘special and unique’, as he told his Manchester City pre-match press conference.
Leeds will travel to the Etihad on Tuesday night to take on the Premier League champions after taking four points off them last season.
That was pointed out by Guardiola and he will be well aware that his team can’t afford to slip-up here with Chelsea and Liverpool breathing down their necks in the race to win the Premier League title.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side go into tomorrow’s match after losing in stoppage-time to Chelsea last time out.
Even though this is Leeds’ second season back in England’s top-flight, Guardiola was full of praise for what they have been doing during that period of time.
“The same,” said Guardiola after he was asked where Leeds are compared to last season. “Before we dropped four points, before we played against them we knew it and felt it. And we know it.
“It’s one of the toughest opponents, especially because they play every week in a special and unique way. And we play against this special and unique way just two times a year.
“We have to adjust a few things because it’s completely different for the opponents.
“In the end, you are going to play the way they play – it’s a challenge at 8 pm at the Etihad.”
Leeds may well be depleted, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to give Man City the game of their life.
As Chelsea found out, even with so many first-team players out injured, and a small squad to boot, they lost to a late, late goal.
And even then, it was two errors from Leeds players that cost them the game, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if there is a surprise tomorrow night.
If Leeds don’t manage to muster up a result in Manchester, then they will be looking over their shoulders because they are hovering above the relegation zone.
They are sitting 15th in the table – four points behind tenth-placed Brentford and five points ahead of 18th-placed Burnley.
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