Leicester City 0-2 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

Ben Fisher was at the King Power, and his report is in. Here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM.

Pep Guardiola talks to Sky. “We needed it … all of us … it was not the ideal performance … we take it … it was a struggle … tight … for the first 20 minutes of the second half they were much better … hopefully the result will help us to bounce back … the result is the most important thing to clean our minds … I didn’t expect otherwise … it is relief.”

Erling Haaland speaks to Sky Sports. “It’s good to win … there’s not much to say, it’s good to win … I’m just happy we’re winning … it’s important to look ahead … shit happens … it’s always a relief when you score … Leicester did a really good game … we knew it was going to be difficult … every game is difficult … it’s been a difficult time … it’s New Year, so don’t think too much about football … now we can rest a little bit.”

Well that was a strange game. Leicester had more of the ball, played some fine football, and created plenty enough chances to win. But they couldn’t take any of them. Manchester City, still far from their best, got clinical to grab the three points. They’re not quite back yet, but a win’s a win’s a win, and you can be damn sure they’ll not be giving up their title quite yet. Pep looks delighted, a weight lifted. A turning point? Quite possibly. Leicester meanwhile will take heart when the sting of defeat fades. If they continue to play like this, they’ll have a great chance of staying up.

The champions bounce back with a win! They had to work for it.

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90 min +5: Kristiansen crosses from the left. Daka rises at the far stick but he’s beaten to the ball by Lewis, who sends it out for a corner, which Ortega claims.

90 min +4: Manchester City knock it around the back, and their fans indulge themselves with a few olés.

90 min +3: Leicester have had 54 percent of possession to Manchester City’s 46. They’ve had their chances. But the more clinical team will be heading home with the three points. Meanwhile Ewen Atkinson would like to continue his pre-match pantomime riff: “Liverpool, look out! BE-HIIIIIND YOU!”

90 min +1: The first of five additional minutes sees Choudhury steam into the box from the right, only to cut back to nobody in particular.

90 min: Mavididi is replaced by Will Alves, the 19-year-old midfielder making his Premier League debut.

89 min: … so having said that, Mavididi crosses from the left. Vardy rises at the far stick, and pings a header off the top of the bar! Ortega had it covered, to be fair.

88 min: For the first time this afternoon, Leicester look beaten, devoid of ideas and energy. They’ll be frustrated no doubt, having been the better side for long stretches. But it’s Manchester City who have taken their chances.

86 min: A double change for Leicester, who remove Coady and Winks and send on Daka and Okoli.

85 min: McAtee looks for the top-left corner with a curler from 25 yards. Too high, but only by inches.

83 min: A replay of the second goal. McAtee shimmied past Kristiansen on the right touchline with absurd ease. A glorious piece of skill. Quite the substitution by Pep, who is on course to celebrate his 500th match in charge of Manchester City with yet another win.

81 min: El Khannouss clips a fine pass wide right for Choudhury, who whistles a shot-cum-cross through the six-yard box. Vardy can’t extend his leg to poke home. It’s not been his day at all.

80 min: The fans swap songs. “You’re going down with United,” sing the home supporters. “City are staying up!” reply the visitors.

78 min: Vardy bustles down the inside-right channel and enters the Manchester City box. He takes a whack. The ball rebounds off a nearby defender, then back off Vardy and out for a goal kick. Ortega takes his sweet time over the restart and is booked.

76 min: Haaland bullies Coady off the ball, then crosses for Savinho, whose header is deflected wide left. Nothing comes of the corner, but Manchester City suddenly have their tails up.

75 min: Manchester City really celebrated that goal. Their first attempt of the second half! Leicester will wonder how on earth they’re two goals down, but here we all are.

… and then suddenly spring into life, and the old routine. McAtee spins clear down the right touchline, then passes infield for De Bruyne, who shuttles the ball on to Savinho on the left. Savinho scoops into the box, Haaland rising six yards out and steering into the left-hand side of the net. That’s why they’re champions, eh?

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73 min: The visitors calm things down a bit with some sterile possession.

71 min: Ortega batters a goal kick upfield. Manchester City not themselves, all right. Leicester have enjoyed 67 percent of possession in this second half, during which Manchester City haven’t had a single attempt on goal.

70 min: Walker replaces Ake.

69 min: Justin makes way for Choudhury.

67 min: Mavididi swings in a cross from the left. It’s a peach, sailing over Akanji and dropping to Vardy on the edge of the six-yard box. Vardy hoicks over the bar when he really should score. He might have done better going in with his head. Another thing we don’t get to write too often: Manchester City hanging on a bit here.

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66 min: McAtee comes on for Foden.

65 min: … and he’s at it again here, entering the box from the right but sending something that’s neither shot nor cross out to the left flank. El Khannouss tries to keep the move alive but slides in too eagerly on Lewis and is yellow carded.

64 min: Coady sends a speculative long pass down the inside-right channel. Vardy can’t get on the end of it. His radar has been strangely off today.

62 min: Lewis brings down Kristiansen near the left-hand corner flag. The free kick’s hit long to Vardy, who heads down at the far post towards Justin. The ball’s flicked goalwards. Akanji hacks clear off the line. Leicester getting ever closer. In fact, how have they not scored? They’ve played very well, and done everything but.

61 min: Mavididi drives hard at the Manchester City defence, and thinks about releasing Vardy down the middle. But the veteran striker is hanging around in an offside position, so the pass can’t be made.

59 min: Leicester waste the free kick, Buonanotte floating weakly into the box, Coady unable to get any power on his header. The visitors clear their lines.

58 min: This is good end-to-end entertainment. Now it’s Silva’s turn to be the aggressor, bringing down Buonanotte to the left of the Manchester City D. Free kick in a dangerous position.

57 min: De Bruyne sends the free kick long. Soumare tries to usher it out for a goal kick, but Akanji is lurking behind him, so he’s got to concede a corner. From the set piece, Haaland tries to steer a shot goalwards from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but it’s easy for Stolarczyk.

56 min: Soumare hangs a leg across Silva and goes into the book. A free kick for Manchester City out on the left. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Leicester box.

55 min: Nothing comes of the resulting set piece.

54 min: Mavididi dribbles down the middle, at one point sitting Kovavic down. The ball breaks to El Khannouss, who attempts a curler towards the top-right corner. Too high. Manchester City go up the other end, Foden crossing from the right. Haaland and Silva get in each other’s way at the far stick, allowing Vestergaard to hack out for a corner.

52 min: … but that was another confident period of possession for the home team. Manchester City were given the runaround, and it’s not often one is able to say that, even during their current miserable run.

50 min: Leicester strung together a 44-pass sequence in the first half. They do something similar here, and suddenly Buonanotte finds space in the Manchester City box down the left. He should shoot, but tries to jink his way past Lewis instead, and falls over. He wants a penalty, but he was looking for it, and like De Bruyne before him, should really go into the book. But the referee simply waves play on.

49 min: Leicester stroke it around in the attractive style, with a confidence that belies their league position.

47 min: A slow start to the half.

Leicester get the second half going. No changes.

Half-time entertainment. Goals elsewhere, for your leisure and pleasure. Simon Burnton has the details!

The champions scored, and for a few minutes looked like their old selves again. But other than that brief period midway through the half, they’ve been their recent strange, uncertain selves, and Leicester have come close on a couple of occasions. The hosts have worked out how to play through the Manchester City press, so it could be a fun second half.

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45 min +1: De Bruyne robs a dozing Soumare on the edge of the Leicester box. Silva tees up Kovacic, who lashes high and wide. Manchester City let their hosts off the hook there.

45 min: There will be one additional minute.

44 min: … Ake heads clear from under his own crossbar. That’s a fine clearance under pressure. Leicester are definitely good for a goal here, though. Manchester City look shaky.

43 min: Leicester are giving this a good go, knocking the ball around confidently. Mavididi and Soumare combine down the left to win a corner. El Khannouss can’t beat the first man with his delivery, but De Bruyne slices hysterically behind for another corner. From which …

41 min: Mavididi looks to turn Kovacic in the midfield and is hauled back. The referee again opts to keep his cards in his pocket.

39 min: El Khannouss advances down the left and reaches the byline. He chips into the centre. Manchester City can’t clear their lines. Buonanotte, 12 yards out and completely unchallenged, steers a header off the left-hand post! The champions standing around like statues. Then they spring into life on the counter, Haaland with a header of his own. Blocked. Cleared. This game is daft.

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