Daniel Farke punishes Brenden Aaronson in two changes – Leeds predicted XI vs Man City
Daniel Farke could make two changes to his starting line-up when Leeds United host Manchester City at Elland Road on Saturday.
The Whites have maintained the distance between themselves and the relegation zone as they currently sit 15th in the table and six points clear of 18th-placed West Ham.
Despite conceding a late equaliser to Aston Villa last Saturday, Leeds will be buoyed by their impressive performances, and they’ll look forward to returning to Elland Road.
Farke’s side have been preparing for the visit of Man City all week long, and Brenden Aaronson could be among two players to drop out of the team on Saturday night.
Lukas Nmecha to replace Brenden Aaronson in two changes
Since joining Leeds from RB Salzburg in 2022, it has taken Aaronson over three years to showcase his full potential.
The USA international was in fine form over January, but his performance levels have completely dipped over the last few weeks.
According to Sofascore, he has only won 35.4 per cent of his aerial duels, and Farke may want more physicality in the centre of the pitch to compete with Man City.
| Stat | Aaronson |
| Appearances | 118 |
| Goals | 14 |
| Assists | 7 |
This could lead him to choose Lukas Nmecha instead, playing him up front alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin to provide another focal point in attack.
The other change would see Jaka Bijol replace James Justin at centre-back, with Joe Rodon moving out to the right-hand side to allow for the Slovenia international to play in the middle of defence.
Set-pieces could play a huge part in the Elland Road clash, and Bijol’s threat in the air would make him a handful from both attacking and defensive situations.
The rest of the side should remain the same, which gives Anton Stach the opportunity to thrive in midfield once again.
- Read more: Jayden Bogle faces anxious wait at Leeds United as injury update emerges ahead of Man City clash
Why Anton Stach could hold the key to surprise Leeds result vs Man City
The German midfielder scored a stunning free-kick against Aston Villa to ultimately secure a much-needed point for the Whites last Saturday.
Three of Stach’s four Premier League goals have been direct free-kicks, with only Ian Harte in 2000-01 (four) ever scoring more in a Premier League season for Leeds.
He’s also the first player to score three free-kicks in his debut Premier League season since James Maddison in 2018-19 (three for Leicester), and only Laurent Robert in 2001-02 for Newcastle has more in his first season (five).
A moment of individual magic will be needed if Leeds want to beat Pep Guardiola’s side, and it’s clear that Stach has proven he is capable of that.
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