3 Up & 2 Down: Leicester City v Manchester City

Manchester City are top of the table, and with a result from Nottingham Forest on Sunday, they’ll finish the week top for the first time since early in the term. Here’s a look at which arrows are pointing up and down after City took down the Foxes.

3 Up

Kevin De Bruyne - De Bruyne’s set-piece sharpshooting was the difference in a match that City played without the world’s top scoring threat. Brendan Rodgers had the Foxes set up to limit the Champions’ chances, and they limited the space that the Blues had to operate. Given the ten yards from a free kick just outside the box, KDB made them pay.

Backline Health - At last the centre backs seem to be fully healthy. For the first time since the preseason, Pep Guardiola can choose from his entire complement of central defenders. John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Aymeric Laporte all got the start yesterday. Ruben Dias came on for Akanji in the second half, and Nathan Ake got a much-needed rest. The last piece of the defensive puzzle would be the return to fitness of right back Kyle Walker.

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Golden Gloves - Ederson had received a deserved break mid-week in the UEFA Champions League, but he was back between the pipes against Leicester on Saturday. After a chance to recharge his battery, the Brazilian kept his sixth clean sheet of the season. Eddie recently finished third in the Yashin Trophy voting, and it looks like he’s keen to add his fourth Premier League top goalkeeper award on the bounce.

2 Down

Injury Concerns - During the summer pursuit of Erling Haaland, the only real question about the Norwegian’s ability was whether he could stay healthy. After having some injury history with Borussia Dortmund, City are now dealing with a knock to their superstar striker. The training staff will likely be very careful with the club's biggest commodity. A foot injury can be a tricky thing.

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Rodgers Detractors - Those who placed money on the Leicester City manager to be sacked before Christmas have seen their prospects plummet over the last few weeks. Even though the Foxes were unable to come away with points against the Sky Blues, the squad have seemingly turned a corner in their performances.

There you have it Cityzens. Who or what do you see pointing up and down? Let us know in the comments.