Manchester City finally return to Premier League action on Wednesday, as they take on Leeds United at Elland Road.
City made a winning return to competitive football last week following the 2022 World Cup break, beating Liverpool 3-2 in the Carabao Cup, and will be hoping for a similar result against Jesse Marsch's side in midweek. Pep Guardiola should be able to field a strong side, with the majority of players available for selection, in what could be a huge game in the title race.
With title rivals Arsenal playing West Ham on Boxing Day, City could find themselves eight points behind the Gunners going into this game, and will be hoping they can close that gap quickly as 2023 approaches.
So, could City pick up three points at Elland Road on Wednesday? Let's take a look.
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
As expected, City dominated the game in the early stages and took the lead just 14 minutes in, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring for the visitors. Bernardo Silva threaded a great through ball into Haaland's path, and the striker shrugged off his marker and fired a great finish into the far corner to make it 1-0.
But the game was far from straightforward for Guardiola's side from this point on, with the home side putting up a real fight, and putting City on the back foot for long periods. And early on in the second half, Marsch's side got the goal their play deserved, with Rodrigo intercepting a loose pass from Cancelo and firing past Ederson to level the score.
As the game entered the latter stages, City got a huge slice of luck, with Kevin De Bruyne being brought down in the box by a silly challenge from Liam Cooper.
The City captain picked himself up to take the penalty, and duly converted it, putting the visitors 2-1 up late on. Although this wasn't a typical performance from City, it was a great result, particularly considering they were second-best for the majority of the game.
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that Leeds United could prove to be a stern test for City on their return to Premier League action, with Guardiola's side needing a stroke of luck in this simulation to grab a win. Considering their deficit to Arsenal, City will need to find a way to win on Wednesday, even if they're not at their best.