Match Report: City 2-0 Leicester

With a little bit of unrest in the City camp, some early success would be just what the doctor ordered against Leicester. It was tough sledding for City, though, as dominating possession didn’t result in any easy chances. Leicester did well to get in front of the City attack and block any clean shots on goal. The team’s latest struggles looked to be getting to the players as arguments between Aguero and Silva occurred on multiple occasions during the first half. Leicester’s biggest chance came on a non penalty call when Bony pulled back the Leicester’s Jeffrey Schlupp in the box, but the referee immediately waived off claims made for one. As the half looked to be ending with no goals, a flourish of chances for City almost gave the home side the lead and if it weren’t for the great saves by Mark Schwarzer (I never thought I’d be saying that) the Blues would have gone into the half up a goal. In stoppage time, City finally got the reward for their efforts as a quick counter ended with a Kolarov cross finding the feet of David Silva. Silva’s first shot was saved but spilled out in from of net and the Spanish magician never quit and tucked home to give City the much needed 1-0 lead. Order restored, nerves settled.

That second half started fast and open as both teams wanted a goal and were willing to do what it took to get it. And early chance for Bony to get his first goal for City in the form of a wide open chance to make it 2-0. The Ivorian pulled his shot well wide of the target and kept Leicester in the match. Leicester weren’t going to let the game go quietly as they looked to counter City’s set pieces and kept the full backs honest with their pace. It was tug of war for the chances on goal and both teams matched one another chance by chance. Whenever Leicester got close, and by close I mean hitting the post, City would counter with a beautiful move themselves. With the game winding down City got their second goal through James Milner. Another beautifully weighted pass from Yaya found the feet of Navas, the Spaniard sent a cross whizzing through the box and was redirected home by Milner. The goal was a perfect ending to a tense match that could have gone either way.

The game wasn’t pretty, and boy did City make it look difficult at times, but a win is a win. With the noise surrounding the side coming into the match, a victory of any kind; ugly or dominating, was exactly what they needed because all wins count as three points in the standings. The crowd became quite anxious at times adding more pressure to an already high pressure moment, but the boys kept together, though it didn’t look like it in the first half, and came out the victors. This looked, on paper, the perfect match to have against a side that is struggling in the relegation zone and lacking confidence, but this could have easily had been a tricky fixture for City. Three points for the good and now on to Burnley in ten days.