Manchester City ended their five-game winless run as Pep Guardiola celebrated victory in his 500th game in charge with a 2-0 success at Leicester. Savinho’s first-half goal and an Erling Haaland header after the break earned a much-needed three points for the faltering champions at the King Power Stadium.
It was just their second Premier League victory since the end of October, but the frailties of the last two months – where they lost nine of their previous 13 matches – were still on show. Leicester provided a stern test and might feel they could have got something out of the match as Facundo Buonanotte hit the post and Jamie Vardy missed a key chance at 1-0 down.
While their title challenge is probably over, sitting 11 points behind leaders Liverpool who played later on Sunday, City moved back in touch with the top four and will hope this can be a stepping stone to a full revival. The Foxes have now lost four in a row and their bounce under new boss Ruud van Nistelrooy was restricted to two games as they remain in the relegation zone.
Both sides had chances in the opening 20 minutes as City looked to dominate and Leicester found some joy on the counter attack. Haaland tested Jakub Stolarczyk with a low shot from Kevin De Bruyne’s cut back, but the Polish goalkeeper got down well to save with his feet. And Stefan Ortega was forced to make a big save at the other end when Vardy raced onto Josko Gvardiol’s short headed back pass but was denied by Ortega’s body.
That proved important as two minutes later City went in front. Phil Foden’s shot, which looked to be going wide, was palmed out by Stolarczyk right to Savinho, who finally opened his City account by smashing home the rebound. Haaland’s relative woes continued as he dragged wide from a good position after wriggling past four tackles to get inside the area.
Leicester realized City’s creaking defense was there to be exploited and came within inches of equalizing in the 38th minute. A loose ball from Bilal El Khannous’ cross fell to Buonanotte, but the Brighton loanee’s header struck the post with Ortega beaten.
After the break, Leicester camped in their visitors’ half searching for an equalizer. El Khannouss fired over from the edge of the area, and Manuel Akanji had to clear off the line as James Justin flicked toward goal. The big chance came when Stephy Mavididi’s cross was missed by Ortega, leaving Vardy with what looked like an empty net. Somehow, the former England international poked over.
Game over six minutes later as Haaland got on the scoresheet for the first time in five games when he headed home Savinho’s cross. Vardy hit the crossbar with a looping header near the end, but City had done enough to secure the three points and give Guardiola reason to celebrate his impressive milestone. "This felt like a return to something like normality," reported The Guardian, signaling hope as Haaland ended his personal streak without goals.
While Leicester’s players fought hard, their fourth defeat in succession indicates they still have challenges to overcome. Bilal El Khannouss and Facundo Buonanotte emerged as promising talents worth watching, but it’s apparent Ruud van Nistelrooy has significant work to do to lift Leicester from the relegation zone.
Manchester City’s fans celebrated their team’s efforts and were heard chanting, "We are staying up," showcasing their unwavering support even during turbulent times. Guardiola will undoubtedly look to build on this motivating victory as the season continues and aim for another strong push as they attempt to reclaim lost ground.