Manchester City secured a well-deserved victory in the Premier League as they beat a lively Leicester side at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
Savinho and Erling Haaland scored the goals for Pep Guardiola’s side, but the Foxes caused City plenty of problems in a match which could have had a different outcome without some wayward finishing from the hosts.
The result puts City, who were looking to improve their run of just one win in 13 games, into fifth place in the table.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team remains in the bottom three.
End the year with three points! 🌟
🦊 0-2 🩵 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/OnFKUlUnZs
-Manchester City (@ManCity) December 29, 2024
How it went
Guardiola’s team started off on the right foot. Kevin De Bruyne exploded before Jakub Stolarczyk saved a Haaland effort well.
But once again City looked vulnerable in transition. On a Leicester counter, Jamie Vardy’s return was grouped by Stefan Ortega in the area, but the offside flag had already been raised.
Vardy had a chance again when he pounced on Josko Gvardiol’s free header, but Ortega was equal to it.
Moments later the visitors broke the deadlock when Savinho reacted quickest to Stolarczyk’s save to score his first league goal in a City shirt.
Leicester saw plenty of the ball after going behind, but failed to plot anything clear. Facundo Buonanotte was millimeters away from catching a teasing cross from Bilal El Khannouss.
Haaland should have doubled City’s lead in the 35th minute when he twisted between two Leicester players but sent his shot wide of the goal.
As the match began to open up, Buonanotte then hit the post with a header, however, City went into the half with a positive goal.
Savinho jumps and Man City leads! 💥 pic.twitter.com/k8pQmq3WkC
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2024
After the break, Leicester looked like the team on the rise. El Khannouss curled a shot narrowly over the bar, while James Justin’s close-range shot was cleared off the line.
The noise inside the King Power Stadium was increasing. And it probably would have erupted if Vardy had done better with Stephy Mavididi’s precise cross just after the hour mark.
But City survived and, against the run of play, extended their lead when Haaland headed home from a Savinho ball into the box.
“The smile is back! » 😁
Erling Haaland makes it 2-0 against Manchester City! pic.twitter.com/RgWPjiw0mO
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2024
The Norwegian’s smile has been noticeably absent in recent weeks, but here the smile was back: the one that sums up the feeling of every City fan at the final whistle.
On the day Guardiola celebrated his 500th match in charge of City, the overwhelming feeling was one of relief.
