Leeds United Vs Manchester City 28-12-22 21:00 - European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga)

Riyad Mahrez says Manchester City must hit the ground running if they are to defend their Premier League crown this season.

City will return to league action, after a six-week break to allow for the World Cup in Qatar, on Wednesday when they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United.


However, the Blues will go into the game seven-point behind table-toppers Arsenal who face West Ham on Boxing Day evening.

“We have to hit the ground running. We are not currently top of the Premier League and that is where we want to be,” Mahrez told City’s in-house media.

“We will take it game by game but our aim is to try to win another title. There are lots of strong teams in England who could still win the league so we are not just focused on Arsenal, although they have been very good so far.

“If we want to win the league, we will have to be ready as soon as the league starts again.”

Leeds will be no easy opponent for the Pep Guardiola led-side who picked up form just before the World Cup break defeating Liverpool and Bournemouth in consecutively.

Despite beating Leeds by an aggregate score of 11-0 last season, Mahrez knows leaving Elland Road with three points will not be a walk in the park.

“Leeds are a big club and it’s a hard place to go but we know what to expect from them. We will be prepared for it and hopefully we can come away with the three points.”