Brilliant Leicester destroy Manchester City to soar clear at top
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Updated 06/02/2016 at 17:07 GMT
Premier League, Etihad Stadium - Manchester City 1 (Aguero 87), Leicester City 3 (Huth 3, 60, Mahrez 48)
Robert Huth celebrates his second goal against Manchester City
Image credit: AFP
Leicester City went well clear at the top of the Premier League with a stunning 3-1 win away to Manchester City.
Robert Huth took less than three minutes to open the scoring, Riyad Mahrez doubled the advantage early in the second half and Huth headed his second just before the hour mark. Manchester City's defending only improved from openly calamitous to generally reckless as the match progressed.
The result saw Claudio Ranieri's side installed as Premier League favourites for the first time moving six points clear of Manchester City, though Tottenham reduced their overall advantage to five points later on Saturday.
Despite enjoying huge quantities of possession, Manchester City lacked the dynamism that characterised a brilliant counter-attacking performance from Leciester, with Yaya Toure and David Silva both substituted after yet more disappointing contributions.
Sergio Aguero pulled one back late on, but it was too little too late for Manuel Pellegrini's side - questions will surely be asked about Pellegrini's authority just days after City announced Pep Guardiola will replace him at the end of the season.
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Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring Leicester's second goal against Manchester City
Image credit: Reuters
KEY EVENTS
3’ - GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Leicester City. Huth scores - Mahrez whips a low, slow cross into the box. Demichelis slides in to block Huth's shot, but it flicks off his thigh and past Hart.
15’ - SILVA SHOT - Sterling collects, and finds Toure. The ball is switched left, Silva collects, waltzes into the box and dribbles a low shot just wide of the far post, slightly deflected by Morgan.
24’ - PENALTY APPEAL - Zabaleta is fouled by Fuchs on the line of the penalty area, and the ref confidently awards a free kick just outside. It's probably wrong, and potentially vital.
48’ - GOAL! Manchester City 0-2 Leicester City. Mahrez scores - Leicester break from their own half. Kante cuts in from the left, he rolls the ball forward to Mahrez. He jogs past Otamendi and Demichelis, Zabaleta is nowhere, and with Kolarov coming over to cover, he slams a shot past Hart, almost totally static.
60’ - GOAL! Manchester City 0-3 Leicester City. Huth scores - A corner is swung in from the left, Huth meets it with a towering leap, and it loops over Hart, static again.
87’ - GOAL! Manchester City 1-3 Leicester City - Aguero scores - From a corner, the ball is cleared, Aguero meets the cross into the box from the follow up, and he glances in at the near post.
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Sergio Aguero scores a consolation goal for Manchester City against Leicester City
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Robert Huth (Leicester City): Neither he nor Wes Morgan are blessed with pace, but their experience was enough to keep out a Manchester City side featuring Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero. Huth and his partner were disciplined and calm, but Huth also contributed a vital two goals.
PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester City: Hart 5, Zabaleta 5, Otamendi 5, Demichelis 4, Kolarov 4, Toure 5 Fernandinho 4, Silva 5, Delph 5, Sterling 6, Aguero 6. Subs: Fernando 5, Celina 6, Iheanacho 6.
Leicester City: Schmeichel 6, Simpson 6, Morgan 7, Huth 8, Fuchs 6, Mahrez 7, Kanté 7, Drinkwater 6, Albrighton 7, Okazaki 6, Vardy 7. Subs: Gray 6, Ulloa 6, Dyer 6.
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Robert Huth scores the opening goal for Leicester City against Manchester City
Image credit: Reuters
KEY STATS
Leicester City have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League away games (W10 D5 L1).
Manchester City become the fourth team, after Everton (459), Aston Villa (455) and West Bromwich Albion (412), to lose 400 top flight home matches.
Sergio Aguero has scored 13 goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances for Manchester City.
Leicester have 53 points after 25 PL matches this season. Only once before have they amassed more points in an entire PL campaign: 55 in 1999/2000.
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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini during the match against Leicester
Image credit: Reuters
TALKING POINT
Did Anthony Taylor cost Manchester City a point? He awarded the corner that resulted in Leicester’s third, despite it being a goal kick, and also denied Pablo Zabaleta a penalty. While City fans might feel embittered by the decisions, they should be good enough to overcome the handicap provided by dodgy decisions. They were nowhere near that today.
MATCH IN A TWEET
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