Leeds United defence Sam Allardyce's focus at Manchester City but attackers must take their chances

Whilst Leeds-born Erling Haaland has been threatening Dixie Dean's English football record of 63 goals in a season, the Whites set a Premier League milestone last month for the most goals conceded.

It threatens to make the game at Eastlands between the treble-chasers and their relegation-threatened visitors a watch-from-behind-the-sofa affair but in former England manager Allardyce, Leeds will have a new boss and a new plan.

And whilst stopping not just Haaland but the plethora of creative players buzzing around him is guaranteed to be at the heart of it, Allardyce has told his strikers they need to be on their games too.

"The sad thing for us is they're in the best form they've been in all season," laughed Allardyce, "they've won nine on the trot (in the league).

"We hope we can find a space or two to cause them some problems and if we get a chance, we have to score.

"I don't think we can afford to miss any chances or opportunities we in City's box, we have to be ruthless, clinical and defensively the team will have to be the best it's been this season. It's been a bit frail but we've tried to put that right."

With in-form Newcastle United at Elland Road seven days later, even more so than usual the new manager has to focus on shoring things up at the back first.

"Our performance defensively is what I will reflect on because it's just been so poor in the last few games," said Allardyce, whose team shipped 23 goals in April under predecessor Javi Gracia. "Why are Man City top of the league? Because they've got the best defensive record.

"The general public don't look at that but it's why they're top now. Other teams can have just as good attackers and score as many goals or more but Manchester City score goals and then have the best defensive record.

"Every time you take over a football club in desperate need it's because the goal difference is so bad, they concede so many more goals than they score.

"The players have to buy in and I have to extract the best out of the player. We will find out (if he can) starting three o'clock on Saturday. Irrespective of the result, if I get a really good response from the players, that will be the start of hopefully getting out of trouble.

"There can be an element of surprise. Pep (Guardiola, City's coach) can second-guess based what I've done in the past but that was quite a while ago and I've got a different team with different players with different strengths and weaknesses.

"Let's hope a bit of element of surprise may work in our favour in the early stages but once you see what's happening as a coach, as a manager, you don't get surprised more than five or 10 minutes by what the opposition are doing.

"City function differently now because they've had to change from no striker to probably the biggest centre-forward in the league."

Norway international Haaland, son of former Leeds midfielder Alf Inge, has 51 club goals this season, with eight or nine Manchester City games remaining as they chase a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup.

"I'm not sure I could mark Haaland when I played and I was the most physical player in the league when I played but you have to be strong with him because he can use his body weight brilliantly as well as his talent and his skills," said the former centre-back who played for Huddersfield Town amongst others.

"I'm more interested in supply. If we can cut the supply down first and limit the amount of times the ball does come to him, he'll have a better chance of dealing with it.

"The players in close proximity can't play with fear, play with a positive attitude. Do your job.

"If you can stop him scoring goal you don't need to do anything else in that game, you don't need to contribute in any other way and you will have had a fantastic game."There were lots of centre-forwards like that when I played – they didn't quite score as many goals as that, of course – like Joe Jordan here with no teeth in and Joe Royle, players like that. There were great battles in those days."

West Ham United did a good job of frustrating City in midweek until succumbing 3-0.

"I know Moyesey (West Ham manager David Moyes) really well and he'll be the most disappointed because they did so well and slipped up on a free-kick,” said Allardyce.

"If you're going to work that hard and go that long and frustrate Manchester City, the last thing you want to do is give away a goal off a set play you should have defended better.

"What's very important is not giving possession away too often. When you get possession, make sure you keep it.

"If that's the case you can get up the pitch and try and create something against the opposition.

“But that's why Manchester City have won nine on the trot, they can score many different ways with the quality they've got.

Leeds will be without Liam Cooper for the game but they hope not the season with a muscle injury.