Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch: 'Manchester City are the ultimate test'

Jesse Marsch has heaped praise on Premier League leaders Manchester City and believes that his Leeds United side will face the "ultimate test" at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Citizens currently sit one point clear at the summit, though title rivals Liverpool could move to the top with a victory against Newcastle United in the lunchtime kickoff, before City aim to restore order five hours later.

Pep Guardiola's side had plenty of joy in front of goal against Leeds in the reverse fixture in December, thrashing Marcelo Bielsa's men 7-0 on home soil, and Marsch is aware of the threat that the league leaders will pose this weekend.

"It's the best team in the world against the best club in the world. It's the ultimate test," the American said at his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

"The talent they have speaks for itself. The manager does an incredible job, with a tactical model that's very complex and players who understand it very well."

"Man City has an ability to control the match over time by their quality and their movement and ideas and ability to unbalance you in one area and attack you in another. We will have to be very clear. We can't be passive."

Marsch came up against City during his brief spell in charge with RB Leipzig earlier this season, with the German club losing 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League group stage, and the 48-year-old admits that his former side made many 'big mistakes' which he is keen for Leeds to avoid this time around.

"[At Leipzig] we made such big mistakes so it was hard to evaluate what was good and what was bad. We made such big mistakes in that game, I mean really, really bad. "Their play in wide areas is what punished us the most and big switches. You have to try and close the space on one side of the field but know they can switch it to the other side as well.

"I think [on Saturday] we are going to be pragmatically aggressive. Even though they don't have much height up the field, they score almost every goal from wide areas. So we have to manage that."

Leeds, who are currently enjoying a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, sit 16th in the table and could move eight points clear of the relegation zone if they were to cause an upset on Saturday.