Four things we spotted in Leeds United training ahead of mammoth Manchester City challenge at Elland Road

As the final day draws nearer, United have a five point lead over 18th-placed Everton though the Blues have a game in hand over Jesse Marsch's side.

Leeds desperately need to put points on the board as the threat of relegation looms, but their upcoming fixtures against City, Arsenal and Chelsea look set to challenge the West Yorkshire side.

Undefeated in five, the Whites will give everything they've got on Saturday, where the roar of the Elland Road crowd will be the 12th man to inspire Leeds along the final stretch of thier fight for survival.

At Thorp Arch this week, Marsch has been putting his players through their paces ahead of an encounter with what the American coach calls 'a goliath'.

Here are four things we spotted from Leeds United footage of the players in training this week:

1. Team effort

Whites skipper Liam Cooper and Robin Koch exchanged a fist bump with a groundsman wheeling a line marker along the grass at Thorp Arch.

Some critics were disparaging about the performative way Marsch gathered his players together for a huddle on the pitch at the King Power Stadium after the Whites lost his first game in charge against Leicester in March, but you can't deny the impact of his person-orientated approach. His promotion of Rodrigo to the senior leadership group, for instance, is already paying dividends on the pitch and in terms of results.

It seems that his focus on intra-club relationships is trickling down to the members of his squad, too.

2. Illan Meslier pulls off wonder save

United shot-stopper Meslier made an acrobatic save to prevent Stuart Dallas scoring a beautiful long-range effort.

Dallas stole the ball from Meslier's own distribution, controlling the ball with his knee before striking a volley toward the Frenchman's top corner but Meslier leapt to stop the goal to the sound of his teammates astonished shouts.

Meslier was among the Whites' top performers against Crystal Palace on Monday, stopping seven on-target shots to take his total saves for the Premier League season to 125 - no top flight goalkeeper has made more.

3. Dan James beaten in a footrace - almost

With sprints on the agenda, zippy James lined up to race against Pascal Struijk, Crysencio Summerville and Stuart Dallas.

The Welshman looked close to being outrun by Struijk before pulling level with the centre-back at the last minute.

James was pulled off at not long into the second half at Selhurst Park after making a heavy challenge on Joel Ward which Palace fans felt he was lucky not to be shown red for.

Marsch's decision to feature the 24-year-old, who is naturally a wide player, in the number 9 position was widely criticised by fans ahead of kick-off but with so few chances created it was difficult to assess James' fitness for the position.

4. Young players' involvement

Stuart McKinstry, Nohan Kenneh, Crysencio Summerville, Lewis Bate, Charlie Cresswell, Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood were all mixing with the first team players at Thorp Arch this week.

Marsch has shown great faith in the Whites' young players since he arrived at the club in February. On Monday, he trusted Gelhardt and Greenwood to change the game in the second half as the Premier League clash threatened to turn into a stalemate.

Neither player could affect the scoreline but Gelhardt did supply one of United's two shots on target.