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Second-half goals from Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus handed Manchester City a well-deserved 2-0 win over Leicester City in a top-of-the-table clash at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
After an evenly-matched first half, the deadlock was broken in the 58th minute by an unlikely source as Mendy curled a composed right-footed finish past Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel into the far corner.
And, having dazed their opponents by landing the first blow, the visitors doubled their advantage in the 74th minute. Jesus finished off an incisive City move after neat interplay with Raheem Sterling in front of the Leicester goal.
The 2-0 victory means that table-toppers Manchester City are just 11 points away from reclaiming the Premier League title. Leicester, meanwhile, who were well and truly outplayed by the league leaders, remain in third place in the midst of a hotly-contested battle for the top four.
On that note, here are the 5 major talking points from the game.
#1 Manchester City take revenge for early season drubbing by Leicester City
When Manchester City welcomed Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium back in September, Pep Guardiola’s men were handed a 5-2 humbling by the Foxes.
Fast forward to April, and the Premier League landscape has changed significantly since then. City are sitting atop the league table, having suffered only two defeats in their 28 fixtures since the loss at the Etihad.
One of the major outcomes of the heavy defeat was the City’s acquisition of Portuguese international Ruben Dias, who joined just two days later. He has since taken the league by storm and been part of a near-impregnable City defense alongside John Stones and, occasionally, Aymeric Laporte.
It was Dias and Laporte who lined up against Leicester and put in an assured defensive performance, a far cry from the misadventures of Nathan Ake and Eric Garcia, who had been in City’s starting lineup in the reverse fixture.
Manchester City’s solid defense laid the foundation for their attackers to mount a formidable offensive display. They did so with characteristic efficiency as they ran out deserved winners and banished the demons of that 5-2 home defeat to the same opposition.
#2 Sergio Aguero begins his Manchester City farewell tour
During the international break, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero announced that would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Although the City striker has missed a large part of the season due to injury, he returned to first-team action just before the international break and was handed a start alongside Gabriel Jesus for this fixture.
However, it appears Aguero will need a run of games to regain match-fitness, the lack of which seemed evident in this fixture. Despite being up against one of the Premier League’s most solid defenses, the Argentine was less than clinical in front of goal.
With his side favorably placed in every competition they have participated in this season, coach Pep Guardiola can hand his star striker the necessary opportunities on the pitch. This means that Aguero could yet end the season with a decent goal haul alongside multiple additions to his glittering trophy cabinet as he bids farewell to the Etihad.
Also Read: 4 clubs Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero could join next summer
#3 Jamie Vardy’s lack of goals could be an issue for Leicester City
Having ably carried the bulk of Leicester City’s goal-scoring responsibilities on his back over the past few seasons, Jamie Vardy’s attacking output has dipped considerably this season.
The typically free-scoring Vardy has blanked in his last six league encounters and has scored just twice in his last 15 appearances, a far cry from his usual standards.
Even though he has struck up a profitable strike partnership with Kelechi Iheanacho, which has resulted in the Nigerian bagging seven goals in his last five appearances, Vardy’s lack of goals would be a concern not only for the player himself but also his side.
As such, both Vardy and the Leicester City faithful will be hoping that he finds his scoring form sooner rather than later to ensure that the side caps off their excellent campaign thus far with a strong finish to the season.
#4 Manchester City tighten their grip on the Premier League trophy amidst quadruple charge
After a sluggish start to their campaign, Pep Guardiola’s men have turned it around in impressive fashion and have emerged as the dominant force in the league this season.
City looked to be well off the pace at the start of the season with two defeats and three draws in their first 10 league games, struggling to put together a consistent run of positive results.
However, a few subtle tactical tweaks and the signing of Ruben Dias seemed to give City the impetus they needed as they put together an impressive run of 21 straight wins in all competitions. They have put themselves in pole position for a major trophy haul.
A victory for City against Leicester saw them extend their lead atop the Premier League table to a near-unassailable 17 points. With an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, a Carabao Cup final against Spurs and a Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund to come, their hopes of securing a historic quadruple are well and truly alive.
#5 The battle for the top four continues to rage on
Defeat for Leicester City in this fixture means that the race for Champions League places remains very much on.
After fourth-placed Chelsea fell to a shock 5-2 defeat at home against lowly West Bromwich Albion, the ball is now in second-placed Manchester United’s court. If they get a favorable result against Brighton on Sunday, they will carve out a tiny yet potentially crucial lead over their nearest competitors in the top four.
With seven teams battling for three Champions League spots, the fight for European football looks likely to rage right until the end of the season.
