Whites must be wary of Nahki Wells in vanguard of a Bristol City team in top form - YEP Jury

And with it the tempered optimism of ending the day with three Championship points.

But the jury refuses to get carried away on the strength of a 1-1 draw in the capital. Yes, Leeds are still in the top two but City, among others, are yapping at their heels and eager to bring the top dogs under control.

With Nahki Wells leading the line for the visitors, Bristol City have a potent goalscoring threat in their armoury, something Leeds have been lacking all season and something which very definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed by the YEP jury.

Here’s their predictions for Saturday’s encounter:

ANDY RHODES

After Tuesday’s draw at promotion rivals Brentford, United will be hoping to go one better against in-form Bristol City at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Robins are in the hunt for a play-off place and have just taken 12 points from a possible 15.

United looked much more like their usual selves on Tuesday, dominating a game which many of us feared beforehand. In fact, they were unlucky not to win, and they must use that spirit going forward.

The game showed just how much we’ve missed Kalvin Phillips, while Jean-Kevin Augustin again looked lively and direct.

Wednesday saw a first Robins goal for new striker Nahki Wells, who I don’t suppose will receive a quiet welcome tomorrow.

With him, City have a striker who knows where the back of the net is and one who loves to spoil a party.

Keeping Bristol City quiet will be no easy task but it’s one Leeds must do if they want to silence their critics.

It’s crunch time yet again.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Bristol City 1.

JACOB STAR

A much-improved performance at Brentford on Tuesday night rewarded Leeds United with a point that should reignite confidence at the club ahead of the Bristol City clash on Saturday.

There were mixed results amongst the promotion rivals, with West Brom winning at Reading, Nottingham Forest losing at home to Charlton, and Fulham drawing at Millwall, leaving the Cottagers level on points with the Whites.

Goalkeeper Kiko Casilla’s latest howler will, most likely, do little to persuade coach Marcelo Bielsa to bring Ilan Meslier into the fold, although the frequency of his errors is certainly alarming and the main factor in Leeds’ poor run of form. Bristol’s 3-2 victory over Derby County on Wednesday keeps Lee Johnson’s men level with sixth-placed Preston and, remarkably, would go level on points with Leeds with a win at Elland Road this weekend.

Bielsa’s side haven’t gone unbeaten for two successive games since New Years’ Day, so a positive result could finally put an end to this lengthy rut.

The Robins are joint second in the league based on away results so I can safely say Saturday’s fixture won’t be as comfortable as the first game of the season at Ashton Gate, where Leeds ran out 3-1 winners.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Bristol City 2.

DAVID WATKINS

The next 14 games will all be nail-biting affairs!

It appears that we’ll be starting most of them with the core of the team that has got us to where we are now, as neither Ian Poveda or Big Kev Augustin are going to be ‘Bielsa’d’ any time soon. So, it will be the team that’s played so well all season, dominated every game, yet suffers from defensive blunders and a poor conversion rate, that our fate depends on.

It means forecasting Leeds results is going to be impossibly difficult. It seems to me that every game will turn on mistakes, chances taken or missed, or simple bad luck.

Bristol are in decent nick, winning five of their last six and conceding in only two. Their away form is tremendous too, losing just four all season; only West Brom have gained more away points. There is a nightmare scenario whereby, in the unlikely event City win by seven, and Brentford, Fulham, Forest and Preston win, Leeds would be out of the top six on Saturday night!

That won’t happen, but this one will be very tight.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Bristol City 1.

MIKE GILL

United went to Brentford to see if they could finally return from London with something.

In the event they were desperately unlucky not to come away with all three points.

Quite simply, they played Brentford off the park.

The game started well but when Kiko Casilla gifted Ben Rahman with a goal the collective feeling was ‘here we go again’.

Although the Spanish keeper has been off form lately his fancy footwork can usually be relied upon.

Although fans will clamour for him to be replaced, this is unlikely to happen. If you replace your keeper, you must stick with your decision.

Thomas Christiansen’s keeper changes led to his own downfall.

Kalvin Phillip’s and Mateusz Klich bossed the midfield and Leeds looked like their old selves again.

They do, however, stay second because Fulham couldn’t overcome Millwall and so the Whites have everything to play for – once again.

Watch out Bristol City.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Bristol City 1.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds halted their ‘problematic’ back-to-back defeats with a very spirited, come-from-behind 1-1 draw at promotion pretenders Brentford on Tuesday.

If Fulham managed a victory at Millwall on Wednesday it will see Leeds drop to third for the first time in a very long time. United, as per usual, did it the hard way thanks to another mistake by their No 13 who is losing confidence game by game.

It’s time the Spaniard is taken out of the team and Illan Meslier given a run in the team. Nice to see Liam Cooper back on the scoresheet ... and from a corner!

Leeds next turn their attention to another team in the top six, Bristol City. United destroyed them back in August and looked superb in every aspect of their game plan.

What most Leeds fans would give for a return of that form in the run-up to May.

Marcelo Bielsa will probably roll out the same 11 that started at Brentford, unless he finally has run out of patience with a certain Spaniard who plays in goal.

Stuart Dallas at left-back was a good call on Tuesday, allowing Ben White to play at centre-back and the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’, Kalvin Phillips, back in midfield after his suspension.

Patrick Bamford will hope to get among the goals with ‘Big Kev’ waiting for another chance to impress from the bench.

Hopefully, ‘Little Ian’ will also be sitting alongside him, having strangely been omitted from the last two matchday squads.

City, for their par, added ‘handball expert’ and former Huddersfield Town striker, Nahki Wells, to their ranks in the January transfer window.

It’s a game Leeds must win, simple as that. The other teams are circling and, with two home games this week and next, United need to use this to their advantage and get six points.

I’ll be in a bar in Lanzarote cheering on the lads.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Bristol City 1.