Manchester City eased their recent struggles with a 2-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday, securing just their second victory in 14 matches and halting an eight-game winless streak away from home.
Goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland provided some much-needed relief for Pep Guardiola’s side, though their performance fell short of the high standards set during their run of four consecutive Premier League titles. Haaland’s header in the 74th minute ended his personal four-game goal drought and sparked exuberant celebrations from the visitors.
Despite the win, Manchester City remains in fifth place, 11 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand. Leicester, meanwhile, continues to languish in the relegation zone, having suffered their fourth consecutive defeat under manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
City’s opener came in the 21st minute when Leicester’s stand-in goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk failed to handle Phil Foden’s long-range shot, allowing Savinho to smash home the rebound for his first goal in a City shirt.
Leicester had chances to equalise, with James Justin hitting the post and Jamie Vardy spurning two opportunities, including a golden chance from Stephy Mavididi’s curling cross. However, their inability to capitalise was punished late on when Savinho’s cross set up Haaland for a towering header to seal the points.
Guardiola credited Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting lineup as vital. The Belgian midfielder, replacing Jeremy Doku, brought much-needed creativity to a side that has struggled for rhythm this season.
While the result provided some relief, Guardiola admitted there’s work to do: “It’s a step in the right direction, but we need consistency to return to the levels we know we can achieve.”
Manchester City will look to build on this momentum in their next fixture as they continue to chase Liverpool and the top four.
