Leicester City 0-2 Manchester City
Manchester City eked out an important 2-0 win against Leicester City to snap a frustrating five-match winless streak. Though City's performance was not something to boast about, the win was important, more so their first away win in eight matches. The match had moments of drama, with Leicester wasting enough chances while City was clinical enough to grab the three points.
Savinho and Haaland Seal the Win
The match started with an early breakthrough for City as Savinho put them ahead by a first-half goal, notwithstanding some shaky moments of City, including a yellow card shown to their keeper Stefan Ortega for time wasting, City's resilience saw them hold the lead.
But Leicester were anything but passive in this contest. They came close a number of times, hitting the post and having one cleared off the line. Jamie Vardy was particularly profligate, missing a guilt-edged chance midway through the second half when the score was still 1-0. His miss proved costly as just six minutes later Erling Haaland rose to head home a decisive second goal for City.
Haaland's Long-Awaited Return to Scoring Form
This was a first goal in five games for the Norwegian striker to bring an end to a frustrating dry spell. His header sealed it for Pep Guardiola's side, but the match showed just how far City's form has dipped. In truth, the team was far from their best, unable to find any rhythm in terms of possession and territory in controlling the game.
Despite all the problems, the three points are an important step for City as they go into 2025; they finally have something to build on as they try to regain momentum.
Leicester's Missed Opportunities
Leicester can count themselves unlucky not to come away with something from this match with a question mark hanging over their head. The Foxes carved out a number of clear-cut opportunities but once again lacked the finishing touches to put the chances beyond doubt. Vardy's missed chance was the most evident, and had that gone in, it could have been a completely different outcome.
A Much-Needed Victory for City
Though far from being a perfect performance, it was a step in the right direction that Manchester City needed. Only two wins in the last fourteen, and they most definitely needed this result to help them gain some confidence. The news of Haaland's return to scoring will also be a welcome boost for Guardiola, who will now hope that this hard-earned win can provide a platform for a consistent run of form over the coming months.
City will have to play a lot better if they want to challenge for top honors this season, but a win is a win-especially one that snaps a five-game winless streak.
For Leicester, though, it's back to the drawing board after another tough defeat, but there are encouraging signs in their play that they can build on as the season wears on.
Manchester City's 2-0 win may have been hard-earned, but it is the result that ultimately counts in the Premier League.